Blood Not Water
by Writer's-411
Summary: Blood is thicker than water. That's the basic fact that binds Shiro to look after Ichigo. Chad is there to make sure that his "blood" is well at all costs. Then, there's Grimmjow, a high school enemy, but something about him changes after a shocking incident. Being the better man, Ichigo sets out to befriend Grimmjow, and make the blue haired man "blood." T to M for violence!
1. Blood

**Hello, people. This is a new story idea that I have. Tell me if any of you random readers like this.**

**Chapter 1: Blood**

Ichigo doubled over in pain as he tried not to cough up a lot of blood. He held his gut as he looked up into a pair of blue eyes. He clenched his teeth in anger as he panted for bloodless air. His knees were aching from landing on the ground so much. His orange hair was matted with sweat and blood. Ichigo's eyes were being blinded by dripping blood from his forehead, and his limbs were heavy from all of the hits. Ichigo cursed the man in front of him. The bastard wouldn't stop picking a fight with him. Most of their fights would end up bloody and sometimes close to fatal.

Grimmjow smiled a bloody grin as he pulled out a knife from his back pocket. He ripped open his shirt and put the cold blade to his chest. He slowly dragged the blade across his skin, cutting a thin string of red. Droplets of blood made their way down his abdomen. Grimmjow stopped the blade and threw it to the ground.

Ichigo grimaced at the stunt. To him, Grimmjow was repulsive. "Is he fuckin' insane?" thought Ichigo. "The guy's only a high school student. How the hell does he manage to get through a day without showing something so stupid?"

The blue haired teenager smiled wider and said, "You see that Kurosaki! I will always be better than you! I can withstand the pain of a blade, while you can barely withstand the pain of my fist. That's right! Soak it up, bitch!" He held out his arms like he was being praised like a king.

"You're fucking sick in the head, Grimmjow!" growled Ichigo. "You have no idea how repulsive you are or how fucking ridiculous you look right now." Ichigo pursed his lips when he heard Grimmjow growl in anger. He landed on his side after being back handed. Ichigo rolled onto his knees as he rested his forehead on the ground. "Fuck!" he mentally cursed.

"Quit acting like you're better than me, Kurosaki! You see! I proved myself again!" roared Grimmjow. "You are just too weak to measure up against me!" He pounded his chest with a fist. "I am the fucking king!"

"King, huh?" came a distorted voice.

Grimmjow looked back to see Ichigo's twin brother Shiro appear around the alley corner.

Shiro walked calmly as he had his fists in his pockets. "I don't think ya measure up t' such a name," he said. His eyes shifted to Ichigo's weak form.

"What the fuck do you want?" growled Grimmjow. He turned his body; his face was twisted into a sneer.

"Ain't it obvious? I'm here to protect my king. It's awful rude o' me not t' care for him," said Shiro turning his attention to Grimmjow. He pulled his hands out of his pockets and combed his white hair. His black eyes housed gold pools that dug into Grimmjow's image.

"Aw ain't that sweet," mocked Grimmjow, "the big brother is here to protect his little brother. Pft! Big whoop. Why should I be scared of you?" His body was facing Shiro completely.

"There's a lot o' reasons t' fear me," said Shiro as he looked at his black nails. He looked up at Grimmjow. "One is that I can make that little scratch on your chest int' a giant hole. Second is that I can kick ya ass. Third is that I can get my buddy Chad to kick ya ass. The list goes on." He tilted his head to look behind Grimmjow and called, "Hey, Chad. Ya got King? I know he's gotta be hurtin'."

Grimmjow turned his head to see a tall man helping up Ichigo.

Chad was about six feet and five inches tall. He has tan skin, brown hair, and brown eyes. He was usually gentle, but at times of conflict, he was a force of brawn. At the moment, Chad wanted to the beat the hell out of Grimmjow for hurting his best friend. "I got him," he finally replied.

"Chad," mumbled Ichigo, "it hurts."

"Shhhh," soothed Chad, "I'm going to take you home." He lifted Ichigo into his arms and started to walk away.

"See ya, Chad," called Shiro with a wave. He focused his attention back on Grimmjow. "Why ya always hurtin' my king, Grimmjow? What did he ever do t' ya?" He cracked his knuckles.

"Heh! I don't have to tell you shit, Shiro," growled Grimmjow. He was pissed that he couldn't finish off Ichigo. Grimmjow has waited for the perfect opportunity to put Ichigo in his place, and now the opportunity was ruined. He paced the pavement. "Good thing we're in an alley," thought Grimmjow. "I'm gonna tear him apart." He frowned when Shiro started to laugh. "What's so funny?"

"Ya," replied Shiro. He wiped away a tear. His distorted voice echoed in the alley. "I'm sure that ya gonna walk away, Grimmfuck. I don't need ya t' tell me why ya always messin' with my king. I don't care t' know. All I care 'bout is ya leavin' king alone. If ya don't, I'll make ya life a livin' hell." His smile faded when he uttered the last sentence.

Shiro observed the bloody man. Grimmjow had on his torn white school shirt and his school pants. "Dumb ass," he thought. Shiro wore the same uniform, but a uniform needed more care than what Grimmjow was giving his.

"Fuck you!" bit Grimmjow. "I ain't scared of your pasty ass. Just 'cause you can fight doesn't make you a badass." He winced when he felt the cut on chest burn from his dripping sweat.

The pale teenager cocked his head and replied, "I know I'm a badass, Grimmjow. What are ya? Nothin' that's what." He took a quick step forward and punched Grimmjow to the ground. He leaned over Grimmjow's form and said, "I'm always here t' protect my king. Remember my warning, Grimmfuck." Shiro smiled and walked toward the street.

Grimmjow lay on the ground and touched his jaw bone. The area thudded with pain. "Fuck," he thought. Grimmjow sat up and took in a deep breath. That was the first time anyone stood up to him in the four weeks he was at Karakura high school. The question he was asked wasn't hard to answer. The answer was hard to give.

He didn't want to tell his enemy that he picked on Ichigo because he envied him. He didn't want to say he envied Ichigo because he had friends and a real family. He didn't want to admit that he was adopted, mistreated, and friendless. Grimmjow envied Ichigo for all of those reasons, and he didn't want to admit it.

"Bastard," thought Grimmjow as he got to his feet. He walked toward the street and headed toward the corner. His home was nearby, but he didn't want to go to the wreck he called home. "Fuck that," grumbled Grimmjow. He went in a different direction; he went towards the Karakura hospital.

In the Kurosaki household...

Ichigo lay on his bed with bandages around his head, torso, and limbs. His father made sure to cover every injury on his body. He turned his head toward Shiro and Chad, who stood by his side in his room.

"Feel better?" asked Chad.

"Yeah," replied Ichigo. He groaned when his arm thudded painfully. He looked up at Shiro and asked, "Why did you help me? I could've handled the fight, Shiro. I could've showed him that he couldn't pick on me anymore." He winced when he moved his arms the wrong way.

Shiro frowned. "Ya my brother, king. Why wouldn't I help ya? I helped ya 'cause I love ya, and I don't want ya down on your knees beggin' for mercy. We're blood, king. I'll always have ya back."

"As will I," added Chad. "I may not be blood, but I consider both you and Shiro as my brothers."

Ichigo cracked a small smile. Despite having his some of his pride shaved away, he was happy that Shiro and Chad were there for him. "You're right, Shiro. We are bound by blood. I would have it no other way."

Chad looked into his friend's eyes and said, "Don't forget, Ichigo... Blood is thicker than water."

**So it's short. That's because it's an idea. Review if any of you readers like this. Go easy on the grammar rants (if any). **


	2. Acidic

**Here is another chapter of this idea. :)**

**Chapter 2: Acidic**

Grimmjow walked out of the hospital with white bandages wrapped around his chest. The night was cool, and the sky was glittered over with bright stars. The wind was gentle tonight. The lights luminating from the hospital windows shown brightly on Grimmjow's back, creating a small shadow underneath his feet.

He took in a short breath and exhaled. The pain killers were working. Grimmjow gave a small smile at the memory of the doctor's face. He never thought he would get a lecture from a doctor. Being an uncaring delinquent, Grimmjow zoned out on the lecture. He just focused on the man's pink hairh. "What was his name?" thought Grimmjow. "Heh! Dr. Granz. That guy is a fuckin' clown."

Blue eyes shifted to the street. All he had to do was walk down the concrete path toward Arrancar ave, then he would be home. "Piece of shit," he growled under his breath. Grimmjow pursed his lips and made his way for that path. As he walked, the bandages tickled his pectorals and upper abdomen.

The strands of hair bounced and waved as Grimmjow walked home. Though his appearance seemed like that of a war hero, Grimmjow hated walking down the same path everyday. Like following the yellow brick road, but without the midgets and the pigtailed idiot. As he walked, Grimmjow receieved sympathetic and questioning looks from others who passed by.

One walker happened to be his neighbor, Neliel. The green haired woman sucked in her lips, holding back a gasp. She knew that Grimmjow was a fighter, and she always scolded him like a big sister. However, she has never seen the boy in this condition. Nel made her way to him and stopped him.

"What the hell do you want?" snarled Grimmjow. He disliked being babied by Nel. He thought the woman was okay, but today was not the day to handle her motherly concern. That was his real mother's job. "What real mother?" he mentally cursed.

"Grimmjow," she said, "what have I told you about fighting? You know you can talk to me. You didn't have to get into a knife fight to calm yourself down." Nel put her hand to Grimmjow's chest when he tried to leave. "What happened, Grimmjow? Talk to me. I hate seeing you like this," pleaded Nel. She looked into the blue eyes, but the eyes scolded her sympathetic gaze.

Grimmjow grabbed Nel's hand and squeezed it in a threatening manner. The girl bit her lip to eliminate a cry of pain. "Just stay away, Neliel," growled Grimmjow. "You don't know shit, and you won't understand anything." He threw her hand down and continued walking.

"Your always welcome at my house, Grimmjow," called Nel. "I will be there for you when you need me. Don't shut out people who care about you." She ran behind him and hugged Grimmjow. His body was cold.

Grimmjow looked back and sighed. "Why ya so good to an asshole like me?" he asked. "I ain't done nothin' but curse ya, hurt ya, and turn ya away. Why do you care so much?" He felt Nel's body grow warmer.

"I'm your friend, and friends don't let friends slip into the gutter," came her reply. Her voice was soft and understanding; the voice of friend. "Don't turn me away, Grimmjow. I know about your household. I hear the screams and crashes. It scares me 'cause my friend is in there trying to evade the roughness of his mother's touch," added Nel.

The man felt breathless, for she did understand. Grimmjow swallowed down his pride. What Nel said was true. The Jaggerjack home was always a mini replica of World War II: he punches at his father and his mother comes in with the sneak attack. Last time she threw a liquid that almost burned off Grimmjow's skin. Luckily Nel found him trying to walk it off in the alley way. The woman rushed him to the emergency room. After the skin healed, he got a tattoo on that same spot: a gothic six on his lower back.

Grimmjow sucked in his lips; he was trying to keep a calm look. His eyes began to burn and his face grew hotter. "Damn it, Nel," thought Grimmjow. "Ya make me feel like I'm bathing in acid." He put his hands on Nel's and pulled them off.

Nel didn't fight the man on his reaction. She would accept his next move.

"See ya, Nel," called Grimmjow over his shoulder. He turned his attention toward the sidewalk in front of him and walked. His lonely steps echoed throughout the street. Grimmjow gazed upon the ground, where his shadow mimicked his every move. He shook his head like a lion would shake its mane; the dark reflection mimicked his move.

The sky was dimming. Bits of orange surrounded the receding sun like a halo, and the dark blue was taking over the halo's light. The breeze became cool; it chilled Grimmjow's lungs and exposed chest. He sighed; the air burned his throat.

He spat. "Fuckin' weather," muttered Grimmjow. His eyes shifted upward; his home sat in front of him. The home looked calm: the lights were off, the shades in the windows were ruffled, and the gate was ajar. The man tilted his head, for the he knew the calm was only temporary. He really didn't want to walk through the front door, but he knew he must. He didn't want to face his air-headed parents, but he will. He didn't want to face a new fight, but he would.

"Fuck me," thought Grimmjow. "Fuck me sideways, up ways, and behind... Here I fuckin' go." He shoved the gate open; the bars were cool. He stepped through the door; the door was unlocked. He stood in the living room; the room was dark. "At least have the fuckin' lights on!" called Grimmjow to the darkness. His hand searched the wall by the front door. When he found the switch, Grimmjow flipped the bar.

"Holy..." he didn't finish the phrase. Blue eyes were bugged at full circumference. The room was trashed. The paint was torn, the couches were ruffled, and the television set was missing. He panicked and ran through the house. Most of the furniture was turned over or wrecked. The kitchen was the worst; it used to be the most peaceful room in the house. There was a large window that looked in on the dining table, and there was a regular kitchen setting: white stove, white fridge, black counter tops.

Grimmjow couldn't breathe, for the sight was dreadful. The black counter tops were littered with trash, the fridge was on its face, the dining table was outside the broken window. Grimmjow's eye twitched after he looked from the table to the floor. There was a smear of blood that trailed toward the pantry. "No..." he muttered. Grimmjow ran to the pantry and opened the door.

The sight caused Grimmjow to fall backwards on the trail of blood. In the pantry hung his father. There was an electrical cord supporting the dead man by his neck; there were multiple stab wounds on the torso. The fathers blue hair looked partially brown, and the clothing was stained in red. The blue haired man set his hands on the ground to pick himself up, but he slipped. "Fuck!" he cursed. He turned over and sprinted away from the scene.

His face was getting hot, and his eyes were starting to burn. His breath skipped when he remembered that his mother is probably dead, too. Grimmjow looked to the stairs and ran up the steps; he stopped when he came upon his parent's room. The door was open, revealing the gory scenery. He stepped inside; his footsteps were quiet. There were bloody prints all over the wall; he didn't doubt they were his mother's prints.

Grimmjow turned his head, and the sight that greeted him was too unbearable. His mother's body was laid across the bed. The sheets were red, and the bed stand was splintered. He walked toward the bed, and he noticed that the body was paler up close with the exception of her bruised neck. His mother was naked, and her legs were parted. Her eyes were closed, and her arms are spread out. Her auburn hair was spread out, just like the sun's halo. The blue haired man sat on the bed and pulled his mother's body to him.

The skin was cold, and the body's weight was heavy. Grimmjow rested his mother's head on his chest; he hugged her close. He remembered that his mother held him like that when he was still a child. After he turned fifteen, he wasn't held the same way. The memory brought the tears in his eyes to fall. Grimmjow choked, "Mom... Mom... MOM!" He squeezed her body tighter. "Why? WHY? WHO FUCKIN' DID THIS?" he screamed. The woman's pale lips remained sealed.

After yelling more curses at the murderers, Grimmjow laid his mother's body on the bed and pulled the sheets up to cover her nudity. He placed a simple kiss on her forehead and stood up. He ran out of the room, out of the house, out of the haunting memory. He ran to the only place he knew that would accept him: Nel's house. The green haired woman lived across the street from him.

Grimmjow barely avoided a speeding car, and he almost hit an old man. When he got to Nel's home, he jumped Nel's gate and ran up to the door. He banged on the door; tears were still streaming down his face. He took a step back when the door opened.

Nel was in her white night gown. Her eyes lit up in surprise and sympathy. She ran and hugged Grimmjow, who held her tightly in return. She rubbed his back to soothe him; the motherly touch made Grimmjow cry more. "Shhhhh... Tell me what happened," Nel whispered.

The next day...

Ichigo was sitting next to his brother and Chad. They were all busy working on a math problem that their teacher assigned them. Shiro poked his brother, who winced. Ichigo growled at him. Shiro stuck his tongue at his brother; he turned his sights and poked Chad, who didn't budge. Chad responded by pushing Shiro's head to the side.

"Alright, students," called Mr. Kurotsuchi. "Who can tell me what the integral of sinx is?" He looked around the room and spotted Ichigo. "Mr. Kurosaki, can you tell us the answer? You should since you spent time working on the problem and not messing around."

The orange headed boy pursed his lips and responded, "-cosx."

"Good," said Kurotsuchi with a frown. He turned and started to lecture some more.

Shiro looked over to Grimmjow's empty desk; he smiled. "Maybe he gets the message," he thought. He jolted when Ichigo jabbed him with a pen. When he was going to give Ichigo a piece of his mind, Chad jabbed him with a pen on the other side. "You bastards," he muttered for them to hear. Chad and Ichigo gave sly smiles.

Before Kurotsuchi could yell at the boys he heard playing around, a couple of policemen came into the room. Both cops were male, tall, and heavily uniformed. He saw Grimmjow stride into the room with a gloomy look. His masculine features were there, but the cocky spirit was gone.

"We're just here to drop off this boy," said one officer. "He's had a rough night. Please excuse his tardiness." The male officer gestured for Grimmjow to sit down.

The blue haired man shrugged and walked to his seat; he set his notebook on the desk. He sat down and looked at the desk as his arms hung at his sides.

Ichigo looked at Grimmjow and wondered what was wrong. The day before, Grimmjow was a monstrous being, but this day he looked docile, which was saying a lot. "Did my brother whip him that bad?" he thought. He looked at Shiro, who shrugged.

The policemen left, so Kurotsuchi went back to teaching Calculus.

Grimmjow opened his notebook and started taking notes. He didn't make any smart remarks, he didn't try to throw a paper ball at the teacher, and he didn't bother to annoy the other students around him. He was quiet.

After a half hour of listening and taking notes, the students were able to leave, for the bell had rung. Grimmjow stood and closed his notebook. He didn't bother to look at anyone. He made his way out of the room and to his locker. The students that passed by were staring him; he was too quiet. When he opened his locker, the locker door was slammed shut by a pale hand. Blue eyes shifted lazily to the culprit.

"What do you want, Shirosaki?" asked Grimmjow in an annoyed tone. His face gave no threatening sneer.

"Ya need th' cops t' look afta ya ass now?" asked Shiro with a demon like smile.

"None of your fuckin' business," spat Grimmjow. He pulled the white hand away from his locker and opened the metal door.

Before Shiro could make a smart remark, Ichigo came behind him and said, "Shiro, stop. I don't think he's up for a round of shit."

"Why ya bein' so nice for this ass, King? He almost put ya in a coma last night," countered Shiro. "I should be givin' 'im a few swings more for it."

Ichigo shook his head and pulled his brother to the other side of him. "It doesn't help when you kick someone while he's down. The odds aren't fair. He and I started out even; don't take him down in a vulnerable state," explained Ichigo.

The blue haired man hated the pity that was being thrown around him, so he slammed his locker and walked away. "I don't need pity," he thought, "especially not from Kurosaki."

**Ta Da! **

**Just review or do what ever. **

**Cinco de Mayo! Woo! :)**


	3. Friend

**Chapter 3: Friend**

"Fuckin' Kurosaki!" thought Grimmjow. "Who the fuck does he think he is t' think he can pity me like some down ridden dog? I ain't a fuckin' dog, and I don't need his fuckin' pity. I should rip 'im a new asshole and his brother, too! Fuckin' female dogs!" He growled quietly as he stared maliciously at the wall across from his table. Ever since first period, Grimmjow couldn't stop his deadly stare or his vicious attitude. The result was a very lonely blue haired student.

His table was empty; the only contents were Grimmjow and his lunch tray. He was leaning on his right fist as his fingers fiddled with his hair. He couldn't look at the pizza, for the sauce oozed onto the plate it was served on. The unnecessary plastic fork and knife didn't add any comfort, either. Grimmjow pushed the plate away and continued to stare at the innocent wall. After five more minutes of endless staring, Grimmjow decided to lay his head within the comfort of his arm; his left arm was stretched forward. "Fuck me," he thought. "Fuck me sideways and all other ways."

Ichigo was sitting two tables away from Grimmjow. He was listening to Shiro and Chad rant on about their fun in P.E. The subject of dodgeball wasn't appealing at the moment, so he zoned out the laughing pair. He felt a tug at his heart, but he didn't know what the tug was for. Without really knowing, his lazy gaze shifted to his left. He could see a drooping figure leaning on the white cafeteria table. When the figure moved its head towards him, Ichigo snapped out of his lazy state, for he realized he was unintentionally staring at Grimmjow.

Grimmjow saw Ichigo staring, so he flipped him off and turned back to his original position. "Fuckin' starin' asshole! His eyes must be fuckin' broken or somethin'," he thought.

"What the hell is wrong with him?" Ichigo asked mentally. "I didn't do shit but defend his ass from all the bullshit Shiro was giving him." After observing Grimmjow a little closer, he could see that the lunch was untouched and that the figure looked moody. "I wonder..." he pondered. Ichigo rose from his seat, pushing the blue chair backwards.

"Ya okay, King?" asked Shiro, who noticed the sudden movement. He was staring at the back of Ichigo's head, but he could feel that Ichigo was going to do something regrettable. Shiro rose to his feet, too, and he turned his brother around by the shoulder. "What are ya thinkin', King?" he asked. His white eyebrow rose when Ichigo gave him an innocent smile.

"Nothin'," came the reply.

Chad looked up at Ichigo and commented, "You don't usually mean 'nothing' when you say it, Ichigo." He quickly wiped away some tomato sauce with a white napkin and added, "You're not thinking about fighting him again, are you?" He crossed his bulging arms and stared at the orange head through his bangs.

"I mean 'nothin'," stated Ichigo. He patted his brother's head and looked at Chad. "And no. I'm not thinking of fighting him."

"So ya are gonna try some nice guy shit?" asked Shiro with a frown. He gripped Ichigo's wrist and added, "He's a fuckin' animal, King. Good boys don't mess with animals...but thugs like me can take 'im."

"So you finally admit to being a meathead," joked Ichigo. He gave a smile as he said, "I'm just going to the bathroom, Shiro. Don't get so worked up about it. I'll be back in five minutes." He gave a strong tug and got his wrist free. Ichigo turned and waltzed toward the men's room.

"He's got five minutes," said Chad from behind. He checked his watch and waved the same wrist at Shiro, who turned with a worried face. Before Shiro could burst with words, Chad interrupted by saying, "You gotta trust him, Shiro. You've been following him like a crazy, guard dog for years now, and I've been telling you that it's not healthy. Give him five minutes. If he's not back by then, you can go into hunting mode." Chad leaned back in his chair and checked his watch again. "He has four minutes." Shiro exhaled a huge breath and nodded his head; he sat down.

Ichigo washed his hands after emptying his barely filled bladder. He was staring in the mirror; he saw the bruise on his neck and his right cheek bone. Ichigo sighed and smoothed his hair with some of the water on his hands. "Damn spikes," he thought with a small smile. He heard the bathroom door open. "That better not be Shiro," he thought. Ichigo turned his body towards the right, where he saw Grimmjow standing with his back against the door.

"The fuck ya starin' at, strawberry?" growled Grimmjow.

"A thug gone emo," Ichigo replied. He pursed his lips when Grimmjow smiled. "The fuck?" he thought. Ichigo's hand made its way into his pocket. "What's gottin' into you?" asked Ichigo with a raised brow. "You don't seem the same. You actually look like a sick puppy."

The smile faded. Grimmjow simply said, "Shut the hell up, Kurosaki. You stand there talkin' like you know me when ya don't. You don't know shit, and you never will know. I don't like your fuckin' face or your fuckin' pity. You can keep both to yourself." He crossed his arms.

"If it weren't for me, you'd have gotten your ass handed to you in the hallway," spat Ichigo. "I don't know what the fuck has gotten into your head, but you can't throw away compassion from a fellow student, especially if you're sad or angry about something."

"Why the fuck should I care about getting any 'compassion' or some shit from guys like you?" Grimmjow asked viciously. "What the fuck should I care? No one cares about me here: not you, not the teachers, and not the fuckin' city. I'm just a thug to y'all...a beast. I shouldn't have to care about those who don't give two shits about me!"

Ichigo clenched his fists and countered, "Would I be asking you 'what's wrong' if I didn't care?" He marched closer to Grimmjow and growled, "Maybe if you started acting like more of man than a pathetic child, you wouldn't be treated like shit by everybody else. Being an asshole has no benefits."

Grimmjow chuckled and said, "An asshole, huh? What makes you think I'm an asshole?" He walked from the door toward Ichigo. "What makes me a pathetic child?... What makes you more of a man than me, Kurosaki? Tell me 'cause I would love to know," he added with snarl. His tall form loomed over Ichigo's.

"Because I don't bully the innocent and because I don't run away from my responsibilities, I am a man. You don't have those traits, Grimmjow. You seem to be at a loss when it comes to being mature because you react based off of your animalistic instinct," replied Ichigo. He was looking up into deadly blue; he swore he saw thunder appear within the pupils.

"Animal," muttered Grimmjow. "A beast." He grinned and cracked his knuckles. "I guess the beast also doesn't care if his victim is an orange headed princess."

Ichigo took a step back and avoided a swing that was aimed for his face. Without having to aim, Ichigo tackled Grimmjow's midsection, driving the larger boy to slam onto the floor. He quickly pinned the larger man down by sitting on his torso and pinning his arms. "This is what I mean," gritted Ichigo.

"I'm just a fuckin' beast, right?" roared Grimmjow. He saw brown eyes pouring pity onto his exposed form; he disliked it. "Why do you pity me, Kurosaki? Why? You're face makes me wanna rip you apart! Your existing being makes me want to tear up your puny soul! So why do you pity a beast?" He tried to buck the boy off of him, but Ichigo didn't move. Head butts and kicking didn't do anything, either. "You don't know anything," he growled. "Nothing! So why?" He stopped to breathe; his chest rose and fell in angry breaths. His nostrils were flared and his face was red with anger.

"If I don't," Ichigo started, "then who will?" His palms were starting to sweat from gripping Grimmjow's wrists too tight. "I don't need a permit to feel sorry for the biggest asshole in town. I can read you, Grimmjow. You're not hiding anything from me with the way you're acting." He took a deep breath and added, "I know you don't have any friends, Grimmjow. You walk home alone, and you hardly talk at all. You must feel lonely, and you must feel frustrated with whatever went on to make you more down. I find it hard to call someone like you a beast; a 'stray' is a better name.

"You may not want any attention towards your troubles, and I respect that. What I don't respect is you trying to turn me away when I'm trying to be your friend."

Grimmjow's eyes were wide.

Ichigo added, "You don't have to worry about me being some jerkwad, and you don't have to worry about me telling anyone about your outbursts. I can be your friend, Grimmjow. You just have to let me in. Accept me and tell me everything your heart has to pour out. Let me cure the lonely atmosphere that you call a comfort zone."

The blue haired boy pursed his lips. He could not believe his ears. Everything seemed like some sick joke. Before he could utter a word, Shiro burst into the bathroom.

Shiro was yelling, "Seven minutes is long enough-" He stopped when he saw his brother on top of Grimmjow. "What the fuck?" he uttered.

"This isn't what it looks like, Shiro! I promise!" said Ichigo in defense. His arms were up in surrender. He fell back when Grimmjow bucked him off.

The blue haired boy got to his feet and headed for the door. He purposely knocked Shiro on the shoulder as he exited the bathroom, and he didn't bother to look at Chad, who was leaning against the door frame.

"Should I really ask if you swing that way?" asked Shiro, who was trying really hard not to strangle his own brother.

"Shiro! I am not gay! I was giving a lecture," defended Ichigo. He was trying not fan himself; he was heating up due to the embarassment.

"A lecture 'bout what? And in that position?" asked the white twin. He crossed his arms.

Ichigo slapped his forehead and started for the door. "We'll talk later...sicko," stated Ichigo.

"We will talk," Shiro called after him. "And we will talk 'bout ya sexual interests, too. If ya gay, I don't want ya datin' bad boys!" He ran for the nearest stall when Ichigo came back running with balled fists.

As he banged on the stall door, Ichigo shouted, "Shiro! I'm not gay! I will kick your ass if you keep yelling that shit in school! I'll make sure that you're different shades of purple and blue bruises!" He spun on his heel and walked out the door.

Chad watched Ichigo walk away. When Shiro came out, he said, "You really need to stop jumping to conclusions like that. You know Ichigo has dated girls and stuff."

The pale man shook his head and replied, "Yeah, I guess... Did you see the look on his face, though?" Shiro smiled when Chad gave a small grin. "I'm definitely gonna t' tease him 'bout it later."

"Sometimes I wonder how I get along with your crazy ways," said Chad as he stared at a locker across from him.

"'Cause I'm cool like that... We're like blood, man. Fuck the water that really separates us," replied Shiro. He crossed his arms. "Come on, Chad. Let's roll out." He began his walk towards his next class, Philosophy.

"Si, pendejo," laughed Chad. He followed.

At Grimmjow's locker...

Grimmjow was not pleased about the predicament he was in. "Fuckin' Kurosaki," he cursed under his breath. When he opened his locker, he found a folded note on his piled books. He took the noted down and opened it. The contents read:

_Grimmjow,_

_Sorry about earlier. I was serious about being your friend, though. I'm not such a bad person, and I'm sure you're not, either. If you want to talk about anything, I'll be willing to listen to you._

_Give me a call or text at 1-555-609-1458._

_-Ichigo or "Kurosaki"_

"Bastard," he muttered.

**There it is... You like?... Si or no?**


	4. Come In

**Chapter 4: Come In**

When Ichigo got home, he expected a bombardment of questions from his brother, but they didn't come pouring out. Instead, he and Shiro walked through the doorway with Chad behind them. Like everyday, Ichigo ducked, Shiro grabbed, and Chad pinned down Isshin Kurosaki.

"I give, I give!" yelled Isshin as he flailed his arms in the air from under Chad's thunder grip. When Chad released him, Isshin shot up and yelled, "Welcome home, boys!"

Shiro waved his hand and said, "Hey, pops." He grabbed Ichigo's shoulder when the orange headed boy tried to leave. "Hey, King. Don't ya wanna tell pops about that event in th' bathroom wit' Grimmjow?" he asked with a smile.

Ichigo spun around and countered with a simple, "No." He pursed his lips when Shiro gave half a smile with a wink.

"Really? I thought ya would wanna explain how ya were-" Shiro started. His mouth was muffled shut by Ichigo's hand. "Mmmphf!"

"Out with it, Shiro," said Isshin as he looked at his son. "Ichigo, get your hand off of Shiro." He raised an eyebrow when Ichigo didn't comply to his order. His son looked around Shiro and gave an innocent smile.

"Can't, dad," replied Ichigo. "Shiro's suffering from a disease called 'foot-up-the-ass', so he can't speak." Without waiting for his dad's reply, Ichigo dragged his brother upstairs. Shiro was waving his arms as he muffled out cries for assistance from Chad, who just walked behind the pair. Ichigo threw his brother in his room and closed the door when Chad was within the brotherly domain.

The bedroom was large enough to house both boys. Twin beds were on opposite sides of the room with one being draped in green and the other draped in black. The walls were white, and the window pane was white, too. The last source of color was the blue closet door.

"Run away," said Shiro in a joking voice as he dove under the black colored bed. His long legs were sticking out at the end of the bed.

"Damn it, Shiro. Get out here now," demanded Ichigo. He crossed his arms as he waited for Shiro.

"Nope," came Shiro's reply as he turned his body. He rested his head on his arms; the carpeted floor provided cushion.

Ichigo growled then huffed. He walked toward his brother's feet and pulled at the ankles. After a few tugs, he jerked his head for Chad to help. Chad nodded and brushed Ichigo aside. The large boy grabbed one ankle and pulled Shiro from under the bed. Shiro was still in his relaxed pose.

"You gotta stop," said Chad. He pulled Shiro to his feet.

"Why so serious?" asked Shiro imitating Heath Ledger's Joker. "I wasn't gonna really blurt out m' King's business." He put on a fake pout and said, "I'm a good horsey." He looked at Ichigo and said, "We're still gonna talk about it."

Ichigo sighed and said, "What you saw was nothing of what you thought." He sat on the green sheets of his bed as he looked up into Shiro's dark eyes.

"What I saw was ya rubbin' up on his junk with ya hips, King. What kinda shit is that?" asked Shiro. He crossed his arms as he took a sturdy stance.

"I don't think there was any rubbing," cut in Chad, who leaned against the closet door. "I think it was a pin."

"Don't those go hand in hand?" asked Shiro to Chad.

"No," answered Ichigo. "I was pinning him down, so he doesn't hit me. He was planning to knock me out in the bathroom. I had to keep him down somehow." He pushed himself completely on his bed and rested his head on the wall. "I had to get a few choice words in his head before he tried anything else, too."

"What exactly were ya tellin' him, King?" asked Shiro, leaned his weight on his left leg. "I don't think ya lessons sunk in enough 'cause th' bastard shoved at me wit' his gorilla shoulder. He's lucky I didn't fuck his ass up for bein' near ya, too." He ground his teeth at the last thought.

Ichigo shook his head and answered, "I told him about being a man and not bottling up stuff."

"I don't think Grimmfuck can comprehend ya smart ass, Dr. Phil words, King," said Shiro with a frown. "I told ya. He's a fuckin' animal. I don't want ya near 'im anymore, King." He uncrossed his arms and walked closer to his brother; he leaned in to decrease the distance. Shiro blankly said, "Next time, King. I won't be so forgivin'. I didn't do anythin' 'cause I thought ya were doin' some weird stuff, but now that I know ya were actually talkin', I don't want ya t' even look at 'im. If I see ya lookin' at 'im, I'll fuck 'im up, and if he so much as looks at ya or dares further t' touch ya, I'll make sure t' inscribe m' name on skin." Shiro's eyes gleamed with malice at those last words; the dangerous threat still hung off of Shiro's lips like a bead of water grasping at a slippery glass. He averted his eyes from his brother and went to his bed; Shiro plopped his body on his bed, allowing the cushion to suck him in.

Chad didn't like the tension; before he could say anything to decrease the choke hold of the atmosphere, Ichigo cut the air with his voice.

"How do you know if he's truly an animal, Shiro?" asked Ichigo. "I know he hurt me badly, but I don't think he's necessarily an animal for it. He might be just a poor dog who's trying to recover from being kicked around as a puppy."

"A sad dog don't hurt people, King," said Shiro, who was staring at the ceiling. "It whimpers and hides its tail from strangers." He sat up and blankly added, "A mongrel attacks people, King." He looked at Chad. "Grimmfuck's not a kicked puppy. He's an untamed beast that needs better restrainin'." Shiro's words set up a loud silence in the room. He continued to stare at Chad.

"He remembers too well," thought Chad. He remembered the time Shiro and Ichigo helped him. That time when he was faced with death's blade by his neck. He would've died if it weren't for Shiro and Ichigo finding him. He was in an alley when it happened. A psycho had broken loose from his institute and found Chad taking a shortcut through the alley's damp road. He had a horrible fight, for he couldn't fight a man who wore a patient's gown. Chad recalled the patient's cold cackle and bloody grip on a glass shard. His remembered turning away to call for authorities and feeling a cold object pierce the flesh of his back. His glance back didn't turn down the pain when he realized the patient threw the shard that pierced his back. The patient continued to throw shards of glass at him, weakening his ability to run properly. He was slumped on ground when Shiro and Ichigo came to the rescue. He was in a red pool.

"They called him a kicked puppy," thought Chad. "Those doctors at the institute had said, 'He's undergone some childhood abuse, like a kicked puppy. He's taking out his anger now.'" He only told Shiro about what the doctors said, and Shiro didn't like it. He remembered Shiro reasoning that he patient was an untamed beast that needed better restraining. After all of it, Shiro, Ichigo, and Chad vowed to be brothers. From all of it, Shiro gained a new philosophy that stuck with him for years; the same philosophy that Chad and Ichigo followed.

A phrase that stung Chad still lingered about and in Ichigo's mouth. Chad didn't think that Ichigo would say words like that; words that were in his past that didn't make any sense. He knew that Shiro didn't tell Ichigo about the phrase, but the chance of it reemerging didn't seem so likely and close.

"I don't think he's a beast," said Ichigo. He got off of his bed and walked by Shiro. "I just think he needs a friend."

Shiro shook his head and replied, "I don't think Grimmfuck wants a friend, King."

Ichigo pursed his lips and growled, "Stop calling him 'Grimmfuck'. His name is Grimmjow!"

The white haired boy stood on his feet in a split second and towered over his brother. "I can call 'im what I want, King," gritted Shiro. "He don't deserve t' be called by 'is real name. A beast is better off bein' called a pet name. Grimmjow's is 'Grimmfuck'. Don't stand up for a creep that wants t' hurt ya, King. I won't allow it." He gripped his brother's upper arm and added, "M' threat still stands, King. Ya know I mean what I say. Don't even say 'is name. I'll just end up cuttin' 'im int' pieces." Shiro threw Ichigo's arm as a glare stuck to his features. "Remember: he's not even near water, King. He's tainted. He's acid."

Ichigo pursed his lips and tore his gaze from his brother. He quickly got his cell phone and stomped out of the bedroom. He didn't bother to pay attention to Yuzu calling him or his father trying to call him over. Ichigo stomped out through the front door and walked toward the sidewalk. He walked toward the setting sun, which made him glow with extra orange.

"Damn Shiro!" cursed Ichigo in his mind. "What does he know. He can't officially label a guy for just a few offences like that. An animal for God's sake! And the nickname! Grrrrr. Even worse." He clenched his phone as he continued toward the end of the next block. He stopped his scowling and looked up to see the park. He sighed and walked down the nearby steps to cross onto a field.

The grass felt dry under his steps, and the wind felt cool against his flared skin. He could hear the trees ruffle their leaves, and he could smell the watery scent coming from the park pond. Ichigo dropped his head back to feel the wind comb his hair. As his head was dropped back, he stared up into the sky. The light blue mingled with the orange rays like wisps of smoke due to the swirling clouds blowing above.

"I remember," thought Ichigo. He looked down at his phone in his hand and turned on the screen. He didn't see any notifications of text messages. Before he could put the phone away, the caller ID flashed on the screen with Shiro's name and picture. He denied it. The next one was Chad's. He denied that, too. The boy shook his head and walked towards the pond; he thought that a peaceful scenery would wash away the anger flaring within him.

He saw the pond. The pond was round and the size of a city block. It was littered with lily pads and grass streaked banks. A lonely brown dock protruded from the far right. Ichigo's eyes widened when he noticed the figure that walked on the dock. The figure that had not changed out of his school clothes and kept his blue hair unruly since the morning.

"Grimmjow?" pondered Ichigo aloud to himself.

Grimmjow looked down into the pond water. The posts under the dock made the water ripple, reminding him of his fast heartbeat. He dropped his bag on the dock, the bag landing with a soft thud and shuffle from the books. His hand went into his pocket and fingered the note from Ichigo. He frowned.

"He really wants to be my friend," he thought. A statement. He questioned himself why it wasn't a question and was a statement. "Friend... It's been awhile since I had a friend... The only friend I had was Pantera... Poor old dog." Grimmjow pulled out the note and reread it.

_Grimmjow,_

_Sorry about earlier. I was serious about being your friend, though. I'm not such a bad person, and I'm sure you're not, either. If you want to talk about anything, I'll be willing to listen to you._

_Give me a call or text at 1-555-609-1458._

_-Ichigo or "Kurosaki"_

Grimmjow sighed and asked himself, "Are you so weak?" He pulled out his cellphone and flipped it open. He dialed the number and called. He heard a loud ring from afar, so he looked in its direction. His eyes widened when he saw Ichigo standing there and staring from his phone to his position on the dock. Grimmjow was frozen, for he couldn't breathe, feel, or see. His senses were lost.

Ichigo saw the shocked stare Grimmjow was giving him. He looked down at his phone and saw a notification for a missed call from an unknown number. Ichigo sucked in his lips and redialed the number and put his phone to his ear.

The blue haired man blinked when he heard a song playing, signaling a caller. The song "With Arms Wide Open" by Creed played loud for the entire park to hear. The ID read unknown, but he still answered.

"Grimmjow?"

"Ichigo," muttered Grimmjow. He didn't say another word. The name. The name he hated. The name he cursed. The name he said. It rang in his head. His own words echoing in his mind repeatedly without mercy to his inner ears. "Ichigo," he whispered under his breath.

"Hang on. I'll go over there," said Ichigo.

Grimmjow heard the boy breathing on the phone, for Ichigo didn't hang up. He watched the orange headed man walk as he held the phone to his ear. He heard him breathing as he watched him walk. It was like he was with him, walking with him. Grimmjow blinked again when Ichigo lowered his phone as he stood on the dock. He didn't hear his footsteps, and he can't hear him breathing. Grimmjow lowered his phone and shoved it in his pocket.

"Hey, Grimmjow," said Ichigo with a smile. He had his hands in his pockets as he stood coolly. "I hope I didn't creep you out right now." His smile was still displayed.

"Ichigo," said Grimmjow plainly.

"No 'Kurosaki' this time?" joked Ichigo. He didn't move.

"Why are you here?" asked Grimmjow. He didn't really care why he was there, but he cared why he was there with him on the dock. Why there was any short distance between them was something he wanted to know. Why Ichigo decided to play Mr. Nice Guy was something he wouldn't mind knowing, either.

"'Cause you're here," replied Ichigo. He blinked when he saw Grimmjow purse his lips and look down at the pond.

"Why would ya want to be anywhere near me?" asked Grimmjow. He turned his body away and added, "Why does the gentle boy want to be near a beast like me?" Grimmjow didn't bother to acknowledge the cracking knuckles behind him. "A fight?" he thought. He turned his head; his eyes lazy with no intention of fighting. He didn't see a pugnacious bastard after him; he saw a face twisted with anger.

"Stop calling yourself that," growled Ichigo. He turned the blue haired man around and gritted, "You are not an animal, Grimmjow."

Grimmjow was stunned. He didn't think Ichigo would stand up for him against himself.

"I know that you're better than you make yourself," said Ichigo.

"You don't know shit," thought Grimmjow.

"I know that you aren't really some sadistic jackass," said Ichigo.

"I am an animal," thought Grimmjow.

"Let me in, Grimmjow," said Ichigo. "Let me be your friend."

"Friend," thought Grimmjow. "A friend." He winced when Ichigo gripped his shoulders.

"I want to be your friend, Grimmjow!" stated Ichigo with force. "Tell me why you are the way you are! Tell me what has put out the fire that burned within you yesterday! Tell me!"

"Why?" asked Grimmjow. He stared down at Ichigo.

"I..." started Ichigo. He let go of Grimmjow and stared at the wooden planks.

"Why would I pour my heart out to you? Why do you need me to?" asked Grimmjow. "What is so important about me that you need to reach for?"

Ichigo didn't answer. He looked up at Grimmjow and opened his mouth as if to say something. He sucked in his breath when Grimmjow walked around him. Ichigo spun around and quickly blurted, "I defended you!"

Grimmjow looked back, an eyebrow up in questioning.

"I know what he called you, and I corrected him. I told him your name. He called you an animal, but I know you're human," said Ichigo. He became braver when Grimmjow faced him. "He called you acid, but I know that you are clear like water." Ichigo stared at Grimmjow. He knew that he used his brother's philosophy on Grimmjow, but he hoped Grimmjow understood. "I know that you can become as thick as blood."

"Defended me from whom?... And blood?," thought Grimmjow. He swallowed, for he knew the saying that Ichigo was referring to. "But blood is thicker than water," he said aloud. "I am not blood."

"But you are not acid, either. You're not an animal, and you're not a beast," said Ichigo.

"I still can't tell you," thought Grimmjow.

"Let me be your friend," said Ichigo. He stared up into blue eyes, hoping for acceptance. "He won't let me near you, but I'm choosing to be near you anyway. Shiro can't stop me from being your friend. He can't stop me from proving you are worth more...that you can be blood."

Grimmjow stared down at Ichigo and blinked away tears. He felt a feeling in his stomach and heart. Both parts fluttered with anxiousness. He was accepting him. The sympathy, the name, and the friendship would be accepted. "Ichigo," he said. Grimmjow embraced the shorter man and pressed his face into Ichigo's neck. He cried. The tears didn't get sucked back in, nor did they get wiped away. They flowed. "I accept you," thought Grimmjow. "You can come in."

"It's okay, Grimmjow," said Ichigo. He rubbed the larger man's back and added, "Don't be afraid to cry anymore. I'm here, and you can tell me what you've been holding inside." He tightened his hold when Grimmjow tightened his arms around Ichigo's shoulders. "I'm your friend."

**So there's another one. Any thoughts so far?**

**I kind of threw this up there, so if there's mistakes, sorry. **


	5. I Can't

**Read my note at the end of this chapter, please. Thank you.**

**Chapter 5: I Can't**

"How the hell did I crumble?" thought Grimmjow as he continued to sob into Ichigo's neck. His face felt like it was burning, and his eyes felt like they would melt. His body was shivering from his warmth being stolen by the park's soft breeze, and his heart was beating rapidly. "How?" he asked himself again. Grimmjow's left cheekbone was against Ichigo's neck.

"Grimmjow," whispered Ichigo.

Grimmjow took in a deep breath to calm himself. He felt Ichigo trying to tug him away, but he didn't want the shorter man to see his weak state. Grimmjow clung onto Ichigo's shoulders, so he could have more time to compose himself. He continued to take deep breaths.

"You don't have to let me go if you don't want to, Grimmjow," said Ichigo. He rubbed his new friend's back to soothe away the remaining pain that Grimmjow just poured out. "Just tell me. What happened? Pour your pain onto me," added Ichigo. He was surprised when Grimmjow pushed him away and looked down at the pond.

"I can't find the words," thought Grimmjow. He stared down into the pond and gazed at the orange sky's reflection. He could see himself in the middle of the orange; he was surrounded by the dying color. Grimmjow exhaled a deep breath and said, "You wouldn't want to know."

"I'm asking," countered Ichigo. "I want to know, so you can start healing." He put his hands in his pockets. The breeze shifted his hair.

Grimmjow didn't answer. He didn't want to.

Ichigo frowned and said, "We don't have to talk about it today if you don't want to. We could just hang out here or walk somewhere." He didn't want Grimmjow to close up.

"When the time comes, Ichigo," thought Grimmjow. "I will tell you all my soul has to spit out." He turned his head, which showed his blue eyes being choked by red. No anger, just content. He hung his head down and replied, "Hanging out is fine." Grimmjow walked toward his bag and lifted the shuffling bag of books. After swinging the heavy bag over his shoulder, Grimmjow started to walk off the dock.

"Whoa, wait," called Ichigo as he started a quick pace to catch up to Grimmjow. When he caught up, Ichigo quickly matched his steps with Grimmjow's. He looked ahead, then he looked at Grimmjow. Ichigo didn't know where Grimmjow was going, but he didn't care. He wanted to be there for his new friend. "You can be thick as blood," he thought.

The blue haired man knew that the walk was awkward, for he felt the disturbing feeling in his chest. He didn't care. Ichigo said he wanted to be his friend, and Grimmjow wasn't used to close company. He would just have to deal with it. Grimmjow's eyes focused on the concrete path ahead; he just had to reach for it.

The shuffling grass under the men's feet was calming. The wind brought the green tufts disorder, but the disorder seemed normal to the walking pair. The trees offered the same shuffle, but their looming appearance brought a menacing feeling. Grimmjow shivered, making goosebumps appear on his skin.

"You moved here recently, right?" asked Ichigo. He couldn't stand the quiet.

Grimmjow nodded.

"Where did you move from?"

"Europe," answered the blue haired man. He looked ahead; he was near the path.

"Really?" asked Ichigo with a smile. "How is it over there?" He looked at Grimmjow.

"Good," replied Grimmjow. As if he would trip on a shallow ledge, Grimmjow lifted his leg to place it on the concrete path.

"Are you German or French?" asked Ichigo, who was very interested in the new topic. He didn't crack the blue haired man earlier, but he would be fine with getting to know Grimmjow a little bit.

"Neither," answered Grimmjow. He smoothed his hair with his free hand as he walked down the concrete path. He looked up and said, "I'm Spaniard."

"Spain. That's cool," said Ichigo with another smile. He thought, "I know there's more to you. Just tell me."

Grimmjow sighed and said, "Yeah." He continued to walk, and he noticed that he was walking towards his broken down home. His shoulders slumped a bit. "Fuck," he thought. "The memory won't go away." He turned his head away, so he could hide the tears that were suddenly falling. "Why did it have to happen like this?" he mentally cursed. "Why did I have to lose so much?" He quickly wiped away his tears with his free hand.

"Hey, you okay?" asked Ichigo from the side. He put a comforting hand on Grimmjow's shoulder.

Grimmjow nodded.

Ichigo frowned. "Look, I know that you're down. I can feel it surrounding you like a dark aura. I don't like it. It makes me worry," he said. His frown deepened when Grimmjow didn't respond by keeping his head turned away.

"You can sense it," thought Grimmjow. "I'm glad."

"Hey, Grimmjow. I'm your friend. You can tell me anything. And if you want to tell me later or in five years, I don't mind," said Ichigo. "I'll be here for you. I won't fade away from you because you let me into your world. You accepted me, and I accepted you, too." Ichigo squeezed Grimmjow's shoulder.

"You're here as a friend," thought Grimmjow. Another statement. His silence didn't throw off Ichigo. Grimmjow turned his head slightly and nodded.

With a smile, Ichigo said, "Come on, Grimmjow. I'll buy you a shake. I know ice cream makes most people happy." He pulled on Grimmjow's arm toward a direction leading away from Grimmjow's street.

"Fuck that place," thought Grimmjow. He allowed Ichigo to pull him in a different direction. As he walked down the street with Ichigo, he learned more about the orange haired man. He learned that Ichigo wanted to be a psychologist and that Ichigo loved strawberries. He also learned that Ichigo was a sixth degree black belt. He gave a small smile at that last part.

"Why did you hold back?" asked Grimmjow. He saw the upcoming shop.

"Huh?"

"You held back during our fight in the alley... I had a feeling you did. And you held back in the bathroom. You spared me," said Grimmjow in a low voice. "Why?" He looked at Ichigo, who was hanging his head back as he walked.

"I don't like to kick those who are already down," replied Ichigo. He dropped his head and stopped. Ichigo grasped the door handle and opened the door, which signaled the bell to ring. He jerked his head for Grimmjow to enter. "Urahara has the best milkshakes in Karakura," he said with a small smile.

"You do have it all," thought Grimmjow. "That's why I envy you." He looked in the shop and entered. Ichigo followed him.

Urahara's shop was colorful. The walls were green, and the floors were white. The countertop by the register was marbled blue, and the signs were decorated with rainbows and colorful prices. The ceiling was dotted with bubbles of different colors, too. Even the tables and chairs were multicolored. The last colorful thing in the shop was Urahara himself.

Urahara was wearing his green and white striped hat, green kimono, green pants, and wooden sandals. He was sitting on the countertop waving a fan at Ichigo. "Welcome back, Ichigo," called Urahara with a smile. He took off his green hat to reveal his blond mane and asked, "Who's your friend?"

"Yo," answered Ichigo with a wave. He led Grimmjow toward Urahara. "This is my friend, Grimmjow," he said with a gesture toward the blue haired man.

"Hmmmmm," hummed Urahara as he inspected the boy. "I see. I see." He hummed more and finally concluded, "Are you guys bromancing?"

Ichigo sighed and answered, "If it means hanging out with a friend, then yes." He added, "How's Tessai and the kids?"

Urahara grinned widely and replied, "Wonderful actually. Ururu and Jinta are about to pass into the fifth grade, and Tessai's inventing a recipe for an ultimately delicious milkshake." He leaned in and whispered, "It'll be great. It's gonna be called 'The Berry Shake'."

"That better not have any reference to my name," stated Ichigo with a glare.

"Well," said Urahara scratching his head with the fan. He sucked in his lips and quickly hid behind the counter. "I'll call Tessai to make you two some shakes," he said waving his fan from under the counter. "For free!" he added quickly.

Grimmjow looked at Ichigo with a raised brow.

"Old age is getting to him," explained Ichigo with a small smile. "Why don't we sit down? I'm sure that Tessai will get us something we both like." He waved Grimmjow to his favorite spot in the shop: the window view of the park.

The blue haired man sat down in his seat and stared out the window. He could see the trees and the grass waving in the wind. The glass blocked it all.

"So... how's your parents?" asked Ichigo. He leaned on the table after taking his seat across from Grimmjow.

Grimmjow looked at Ichigo with wide eyes. The subject seemed so random and innocent. The heart sped up. The heat returned to him. His face flushed and his eyes blurred. He quickly looked down at his fists on the table. "I can't tell you," he thought. Grimmjow clenched his teeth as hot tears silently slid down his cheeks.

"Did I say something wrong?" asked Ichigo in a concerned voice. He saw the shiny glint of a falling tear. He watched it splash on the table. It plopped loudly; the sound echoed in his ears. "Oh no. I'm sorry, Grimmjow," said Ichigo. His eyes saddened. "I didn't mean to talk about them... I didn't think! Man, I'm sorry. Please, don't hurt anymore."

Grimmjow sniffled and looked up. His blue eyes were tainted with red. "You want to understand," he thought. "Why do your actions seem like statements and not questions? Why are you special? I envy you. I envy you." He wiped away his tears and shook his head. He said, "Nothing."

"Here are your shakes, Mr. Kurosaki," boomed a voice. Grimmjow didn't flinch, but Ichigo jumped in his seat. "I brought you both strawberry milkshakes, so no fighting. And, have a good bromance." He set the shakes down and walked away toward the counter.

"Damn it, Urahara," cursed Ichigo under his breath. He took a shake and sucked on the straw; he kept a secret eye on Grimmjow's movements.

The burning was killing him. Grimmjow looked at the shake and pulled it towards him. He admired the style of the shake, for it was a light pink with whipped cream at the top. There were red sprinkles dotting the cream, and a strawberry slice sat at the very top. The only blemish was the blue straw sticking out of the cream. Grimmjow sucked on the straw.

The strawberry blend slid down Grimmjow's throat, causing him to shiver from its contrasting temperature.

"You like it?" asked Ichigo. He wanted to make up for the wrong question.

Grimmjow nodded. "Don't feel bad," he said. "You didn't say anything wrong." Despite drinking the shake, his throat still felt dry.

Ichigo licked his lips and replied, "Did they hurt you?"

Grimmjow stared at his shake.

"You can tell me," said Ichigo. He was looking at downcast eyes.

"I can't," said Grimmjow. He got up and quickly left the store. "I can't," he thought. "You're too fuckin' good for your own nature. I fuckin' envy you! You are a friend! But I can't tell you!" Tears slid down his face as he walked away from the shop.

Ichigo burst from within the shop. "Grimmjow!" he called. Grimmjow was gone.

**Author's Note:**

**1. Okay. I appreciate the number of people taking their time to read this story, so thank you all. (Applauds for readers)**

**2. A reader has brought something to my attention, and I want to offer you all a choice/vote/thing. I've recently been asked if this story would contain a lemon (I had no idea what that was until a new friend explained "lemon" to me). The scene referred to Yaoi, and I have no problem writing one for you all. (Of course, I still need to figure out how to craft the words.) I'm not one to turn down a sort of request, but I know there is more than one reader reading this story. Thus, my offer follows.**

**2a. Here's the offer: if I get five or more readers to request the Yaoi scene, I will write one sometime in the future. Remember I need five to request this! You can request the Yaoi via comments or PM. You all have until the next chapter post (which is like next week) to send requests.**

***If this Yaoi does come to fruition, I will write a prewarning in the next chapter stating that I will change the rating, so you all know where to look for the story. The genre will stay the same.**

**2b. If you all want, you can also suggest who gets to be the Seme and the Uke. (The choices are Ichigo and Grimmjow.) **

**Ready, set, GO!**


	6. Becoming Blood

**Chapter Six: Becoming Blood**

Grimmjow walked through the school halls with an unsettled mind. He couldn't help but feel like Ichigo was everywhere. As if the orange haired man was watching him, Grimmjow kept his gaze focused on the ground ahead of him. He allowed his muscle memory to take him to Calculus class.

After turning the cold knob, Grimmjow entered the half full class. While his gaze was focused on the ground, he walked toward his desk and sat. The notebook and pencils were placed on his desk carefully. He peacefully opened his notebook and folded the ends; he picked up a purple pencil and wrote the date. After writing the date, Grimmjow titled his page; he blinked when a foreign pencil wrote something on his page. The blue haired man looked up; his eyes were wide.

Ichigo was smiling at Grimmjow. He placed his blue pencil behind his right ear and continued to smile.

The blue haired man looked down at Ichigo's writing. A small smiley face was staring at him from the top of the page. Under the face was the word: hello. Grimmjow's gaze strayed from the smiley face and stared at the date.

"I'm sorry," came Ichigo's voice.

"I know you are," came Grimmjow's inner response.

"I didn't mean to hurt you, Grimmjow. I'm concerned about you, and I want to know what's bugging you," said Ichigo with a sadder gaze.

Grimmjow looked up and replied, "Your brother will be angry."

Ichigo frowned. "He's not here yet. I left early, so I can see you," he explained. He looked into the blue eyes and said, "I'm your friend, so I will protect you. No one, not even Shiro, will touch you. I am your personal guard." Ichigo smiled and put his hand on Grimmjow's shoulder.

"I can take care of myself," said Grimmjow, but he didn't shake off Ichigo's hand. He pursed his lips. He didn't want to treated like a hurt puppy. So much care seemed unnecessary to Grimmjow. His brow furrowed when Ichigo shook his head.

"I didn't say you couldn't," replied Ichigo as he set his hand in his pocket. His smile widened after he said, "Today. I will walk with you, talk with you, and sit with you. As much as I love my brother and Chad, I won't allow them to dictate who you and I are to each other. I know who you are to me: my friend." Ichigo plopped down on the seat on Grimmjow's left. He turned himself to face his friend.

"KING!" came Shiro's voice from the doorway.

"Oh shit!" thought Ichigo. His eyes narrowed and his lips pursed. He got up and stood in front of Grimmjow's desk.

Grimmjow looked around Ichigo, and he saw Shiro stomping over toward them. His eyes widened when Shiro started rolling up his sleeves. When the white haired boy was in range, his arm went around Ichigo to pull him aside.

"No, Shiro," growled Ichigo. He rooted his legs, bent his knees, and pushed Shiro back. He looked into his brother's eyes and stated, "He isn't hurting me, and I'm not hurting him. There is no reason for you to start a brawl with Grimmjow. I won't allow you to."

"What did ya say t' me?" gritted Shiro. He stalked toward his brother and eyed Ichigo's eyes. His face was so close. "In case ya forgot, King, _Grimmfuck_ almost delivered ya from this world. I told ya tha' if you spoke 'is name or came within 'is range, I would inscribe m' name on 'im. I'm a man o' m' word, King." Shiro tried to move Ichigo again, but his attempts were stopped with force. "Damn it, King!" he thought. "Ya makin' me do stuff I don't wanna do." He raised a balled fist and aimed for Ichigo's face, but his face was clutched by a bigger hand. Shiro looked back.

Chad held his friend's fist in his hand. He tightened his hold when Shiro tried to pull away. "Don't raise your fist at Ichigo," he said. His eyes were looking at Shiro with indifference, but they narrowed as he said, "Raising your fist at him is like raising your fist at me. I won't accept that. He's our brother, Shiro. What the hell is wrong with you? He's blood."

Shiro's eyes narrowed. He pulled his fist free and viciously replied, "How can I call my brother blood when he goes against me?"

"Protecting Grimmjow doesn't make him water, Shiro. Ichigo is blood; he'll always be blood," said Chad with a softer face. He jerked his head toward his and Shiro's seats. "Let's sit. Class is about to start."

The white haired man huffed in anger and quickly turned. "Don't cry t' me if Grimmfuck blows ya over, King," said Shiro. He turned away and stomped off toward his seat. He dropped onto his chair and crossed his arms. His angry gaze was placed on his desk.

Ichigo was looking down at the ground when he felt Chad's large hand on his shoulder. He looked up, and his eyes relaxed.

"You're strong, Ichigo. Make good choices," said Chad. He nodded his head and went to sit down by Shiro.

"You defended me," thought Grimmjow. He was looking down at his paper. "You didn't flinch from Shiro. I envy that," he continued in his mind.

"Grimmjow," came Ichigo's voice. He was looking down on Grimmjow's downcast head.

Grimmjow looked up. "You defended me," he said.

Ichigo smiled. "Of course I did. I'm not letting you get hurt for any reason," he replied. His eyes shimmered when Grimmjow gave half a smile. "That's better," he thought.

"Kurosaki!" boomed Kurotsuchi. "Why are still standing when I'm about to teach you the basics of integration?" His arms were folded as he tapped his foot impatiently. He raised an eyebrow when he didn't get an immediate answer. "No answer?" he asked. "Good! Now sit down, or I'll go over there and whack you over the head with this ruler...Now!"

"When did he get here?" Ichigo asked himself when he turned around. He blushed when everyone was looking at him; he quickly sat in his seat. He opened his notebook and labeled the date and title.

"Very good, Kurosaki," said Kurotsuchi. "Now you'll be the first to try to integrate this problem." He turned and uncapped a nearby marker. He wrote a difficult problem on the board and turned back around. "Do it."

"I don't even know what integration means," said Ichigo in an annoyed tone.

"None of you do, but I believe you are smart enough to figure it out," said Kurotsuchi with a smile.

Ichigo pursed his lips and rose from his seat. He walked toward the front of the class and took the marker. He looked at the problem. The large 's' thing looked odd, and the equation next to it looked hard. Ichigo licked his lips and squinted at the equation. He turned when a cough rang throughout the room.

"Grimmjow," said Kurotsuchi. "Stop coughing. If you have to vomit, run to the bathroom." He turned back to Ichigo and added, "Well, Kurosaki?"

Brown eyes focused on Grimmjow, who wrote down something on his notebook and raised it for him to see. Ichigo faced Kurotsuchi with a smile. He turned back to the board and wrote down the answer. He placed the marker on Kurotsuchi's desk and walked toward his seat.

"How?" asked Kurotsuchi with a raised eyebrow. He looked over Ichigo's answer several times before sighing and saying, "Very good, Kurosaki. Now refrain from standing and distracting other students." He turned and went on with his lesson.

"Thanks," whispered Ichigo to Grimmjow, who was busy erasing the answer on his notebook. When he noticed Grimmjow wasn't looking back, Ichigo poked his friend with his pencil.

Grimmjow jerked and quickly turned to Ichigo, who smiled at him brightly.

"I said 'thanks'," whispered Ichigo. He kept his smile.

The blue haired man nodded his head and turned back to his notes. "Your welcome, Ichigo," he thought.

At lunch...

"How did you know the answer?" asked Ichigo as he chewed his burger. He took a sip of the soda he bought from the vending machine. His eyes looked up at Grimmjow, who was looking down at his tray. Ichigo looked at the tray, and he saw that Grimmjow was focused on the fries drenched in ketchup.

"What?" asked Grimmjow, who blinked and looked up. He was sitting across from Ichigo.

Ichigo swallowed his food and repeated, "How did you know the answer?" He bit down on a fry smothered in ketchup. He stared into Grimmjow's blue eyes as he chewed his fry.

"Looked up integration," answered Grimmjow. He twirled a fry in between his forefinger and thumb. He didn't want Ichigo's eyes on his anymore. Grimmjow set the fry down amongst its fellow fries. He pushed his lunch away and laid his head on his folded arms.

"Oh," said Ichigo. He licked the ketchup off of his lips and asked, "You're not hungry?"

Grimmjow shook his head and muffled something inaudible. His eyes peeked from under the blue curtain of hair to look at Ichigo for his reaction. He saw confusion. "Good," he thought.

"Are you still upset?" asked Ichigo. He put his head down to stare at Grimmjow evenly. He carefully pushed his tray aside and rested his chin on his arms. Ichigo gave Grimmjow a look of both interest and concern.

"If you're food is undercooked, you can always ask for another tray," said Ichigo. He aimed randomly; he wanted Grimmjow to tell him.

"Not the food," said Grimmjow from behind his arm. "Something else," he thought. "The red. I can't stand the red. My vision becomes red when I see it...because it reminds me of that night. That night that the police have failed to find anything on. They died because I wasn't there to protect them. I couldn't stop the murder or the rape. They gave me a family and a home, and I couldn't protect them." Tears threatened Grimmjow's vision, so he buried his face away. He took deep breaths.

Ichigo go up from his seat and went around the table to sit next to Grimmjow. When the man didn't flinch, Ichigo draped his arms around his friend. He felt Grimmjow tense under him. "I'll wait," said Ichigo. "I'll be here for you...always."

A pair of eyes were settled on the hugging men. Ikkaku Madarame narrowed his eyes. He hated homosexual affection. He hated Grimmjow. Ikkaku touched his clothed chest, where the scar lay dormant. Grimmjow gave him the scar. He almost won that fight, but the bastard, Grimmjow, was a dirty fighter. He remembered Grimmjow claiming he loved blades; that was something they had in common.

"Bitch," muttered Ikkaku. He ran his hand over his chest. "We'll see how much o' a man ya are when I fuck up your orange friend." His gaze didn't leave the pair.

Shiro walked by Ikkaku. He didn't like the bald gangster. He always wondered who would be slow enough to tattoo his eyes red. "Dumbass," thought Shiro. He walked toward Chad.

Ikkaku snapped his fingers before the bell rang, signalling a new plot for the day to the rest of the gang.

On the roof...

Ichigo was pushed against the school gate on the roof. He didn't know why he was dragged away from P.E. class, but he didn't like the way the guys were handling him. He was changing out of his uniform when they took him. Ichigo's eyes were focused on Ikkaku, the leader of the group. He didn't care that Shuhei and Yumichika were holding him down; he cared that Ikkaku was looking at him with a malicious set of eyes.

Without having to break a sweat, Ichigo disabled Yumichika's left arm and left leg and knocked out Shuhei. He straightened out his jacket with as much attitude he had. Ichigo looked to the next victim, Izuru Kira. The blonde was looking at him with blank eyes. No emotion. Ichigo beckoned him forward with his hand as he stared at Kira with a cocky smile.

Kira just blinked and ran forward.

When Ichigo was about to trip Kira, he heard Ikkaku laugh. After kicking at Kira, Ichigo spun around to quickly block any blow that Kira had for him. The blow wasn't a punch. He felt a wooden surface connect with his ribcage. The next blow was taken at the back of Ichigo's knees. He fell to the ground, ribcage wrapped in his arms.

Kira brought up the bat and slammed it on Ichigo's abdomen.

Ichigo let out a wail that pierced the sky. "AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!" yelled Ichigo after being hit again. He rolled onto his knees, which gave out and made him lean against the gate. He looked up at Ikkaku and Kira. Kira turned away, while Ikkaku smiled at him creepily.

Elsewhere...

Shiro heard a scream from his philosophy class. He heard the scream again. "That sounded like King," he thought. He couldn't ask Chad for help because the bigger man left early for a doctor's appointment. "Fuck!" he thought. Without permission, Shiro rose from his seat and bolted out of the classroom. "That scream. That has to be King. Where is he? Where?" he ranted in his mind. "He wouldn't be fightin'. He's too good o' a student. Maybe the roof?" He ran toward the steps.

In P.E...

Grimmjow noticed that Ichigo wasn't around. When he was going to enter the locker rooms to see if Ichigo was there, Grimmjow heard a scream. He looked back at the teacher, but the teacher seemed oblivious with his roaring headphones and ripped magazine. He heard the scream again. "Shit," thought Grimmjow. "Ichigo?" He looked up and muttered, "The roof?" He ran from class.

He saw the staircase. Grimmjow fisted the handrails as he looked up. He was trying to catch his breath as he looked up at the open roof door. With a deep breath, he bolted up the steps. The sight that greeted him was horrifying.

Shiro was trying to beat off Kira and Shuhei, who were skillfully keeping him at bay with their martial arts skills. Shiro blocked shots from both men and aimed a kick at Shuhei's face. A crack was heard after Shiro's foot connected with Shuhei's face. Kira retaliated with blows of his own, but he was avoided.

Grimmjow tore his gaze from Shiro to look at Ichigo. His blue eyes were wide with horror and pain. In Ichigo's place, Grimmjow saw his mother. His eye twitched. "That's probably how it happened," he thought. "I wasn't there for her... Now it's happening again...and to my FRIEND!" Grimmjow's eyes narrowed, and his lips parted into a snarl. A growl passed his lips. His P.E. uniform rippled as he shivered in rage.

The blue haired man sprinted toward the scene and ripped Ikkaku away from Ichigo. He saw the red marks under Ikkaku's eyes. He saw red drops on the ground. His vision was gone; Grimmjow only saw red. Grimmjow roared into the air and attacked his victim. He kneed Ikkaku in the face and punched at Ikkaku's temples.

"There'll be nothing left," thought Grimmjow. "I won't let you escape like last time...when you took my foster parents." His heart was beating rapidly; his breaths were short and quick. His fists were faster, his legs were faster, and his animalistic instinct was faster. He threw Ikkaku at the brick wall that was in the middle of the roof. Ikkaku knocked his head on the brick, bringing him to see black. When the victim didn't move, Grimmjow roared again in triumph. When his cry stopped, he heard a whimper. He looked back.

Ichigo's pelvis hurt; his whole body hurt. He tried to support himself on his arms, but they gave out under him. He tried again, but he landed on his chest with a thud. Ichigo's body was hot; anger and shame swirled within him. Brown eyes focused upwards. He saw Grimmjow. His eyes felt heavy, so he let his lids drop. Ichigo went limp with a gasp.

After Grimmjow saw Ichigo faint, he ran over and turned the man, so Ichigo's head was resting on his lap. He looked over the body. Bruises, cuts, and blood greeted him. When his analyzing eyes saw bare hips, he quickly pulled up Ichigo's pants and buckled them shut. After shutting Ichigo's pants, Grimmjow looked back at the face. Despite the minor cuts and bruises on his cheeks, Ichigo still looked bright with a halo. He heard a grunt, so Grimmjow looked over.

Shiro knocked out Kira after getting the blonde to fall for a fake blow. "Fuck ya," he spat at Kira. He was panting. Shiro's gold eyes flicked over to his brother, who was being held by Grimmjow. He narrowed his eyes. "He saved 'im," he thought. "He saved 'im...why? Only blood would do that... Does this make Grimmjow blood?" He straightened his stance.

Grimmjow saw the gaze, but he didn't falter. He rose to his feet with Ichigo in his arms. Grimmjow grimaced at Shiro; he turned and proceeded down to the school halls. He walked out of the school and headed to Nel's house, his new home. Nel wasn't home, so he brought Ichigo to his room. He laid the man on his bed and sank to his knees.

"I'll tell you," said Grimmjow. His eyes watered as they were blindly focused on the ground. He looked up and focused his blind vision on Ichigo's face. He stated, "I'll tell you all that my soul has to spit out."

**Author's Note:**

**Hello, people. I have only received three requests for the Yaoi, so I will not include it. Sorry to those who wanted it. On a brighter note, I am writing a Yaoi called _Angel Eyes_; the first chapter is available to you all. **

**Plus, I hope you all like this _Blood Not Water_ chapter. I had to listen to inspirational music for the last part. If you don't understand some parts, you can ask me for clarification via PM.**

**Have a good day. :)**


	7. Grimmjow's Soul and Shiro's Blood

**Chapter Seven: Grimmjow's Soul and Shiro's Blood**

Grimmjow slouched against his bed as he sat. Both arms were supported on his knees as he looked up at Ichigo's calm face. "Even after rape, you still manage to surprise me. Your face gives me a brave look. How can you look so calm?" Grimmjow mentally mused. He licked his lips and sighed. "I still have to tell you, Ichigo," said Grimmjow aloud. He rolled his head to rest on his chest.

"Even though you sleep, I feel like you're still listening to me ramble on about stuff," said Grimmjow. He gave a bitter smile, but his lips quivered into a frown. "So I'll tell you as you lay there," he announced to the other. Grimmjow rolled his head backwards and rested it on the bed's edge.

"I can't tell you how everything smelled. I can't tell you how everything felt rough at my fingertips, and I can't tell you how the air was clotted with my own anxiety. I can tell you that I died, too. I died with my foster parents. Heh. Don't get me wrong, they were great for years, but they changed. I don't know why, but they did. My mother never held me the same, and my father never talked to me the same way. I transitioned from a calm house to a house of war," started Grimmjow. His eyes shifted from the open doorway toward Ichigo's face.

"I found them the other day..." He trailed off as tears threatened him again. "I found both of them... My father was stabbed and hung in our pantry like some swine, and my mother... I found her naked in my parent's room. She was raped, then she was choked." Grimmjow covered his face with his left hand. "The pictures are still clear. I can still see them." He dragged his hand down his face. "I can still make out my dad's best shirt between the stab wounds. I can still see my mother's last facial expression. I can still feel her skin, and I can still smell the rotting stench of both." Grimmjow's body was quivering. "I wasn't there for them! They loved me, and I couldn't protect them. I feel... I feel so damn weak!"

A few tears gushed from Grimmjow's eyes. He quickly wiped those tears away and continued, "Ya know I consider you as my best friend, right?" He hiccuped. "Fuck! You're one of the only two friends I got!" He rested his head on his right arm, which laid limply on his right knee. "I'll fuckin' admit it, Ichigo! I only got you and Nel... Both of you confuse me, man... She decided to be my friend, and I still wonder why...but I consider her a sister now. And you... You are just as precious, Ichigo. You're tough, but you're fragile, too. You reminded me of my mother out there on the roof, Ichigo. I saw her as you... When that bastard, Ikkaku, defiled your innocence, my temper snapped. He hated me. Ikkaku hated me and he still does. I hated him, so beating him within an inch of his life was not debated between me and my beast... You and my mother both took on the same punishment that some asshole decided to do to you...and I envy you for your bravery... Fuck! I envy you for a lot of shit." Grimmjow swallowed the lump in his throat.

He took a few breaths to stop the tears that gushed from his eyes. "I envy you," Grimmjow repeated. "I vowed not to tell a soul, but my soul told me to tell you at this moment... When I came here, Ichigo, I didn't know what to expect. I didn't know what kind of crowd I'd end up in... Heh. I didn't think I'd make friends at all." Grimmjow turned his red eyes toward Ichigo's calm form. His words came softly. "I saw you, Ichigo. I saw you, and I instantly envied you. You practically had a fuckin' halo around your head, and you were surrounded by caring friends. You were arm in arm with your brother and Sado that day." Grimmjow turned his gaze toward the open door across from him and gave a deep, dark chuckle. "Your brother ruined it. He gave me this dirty look with his demon eyes, and I hated him. Along with my hate for him, I hated you, too. Then I found out your name, Ichigo, and I couldn't stand it. I hated your name because it was fuckin' perfect. I thought of you as this perfect, snot-nosed brat, who gets everything he wants in life."

Grimmjow paused to take a breath. He said, "I don't know if my assumption was right, Ichigo. I do know that I beat you for it. I beat you despite your protests for any reasons I threw at you. In reality, I was the fuckin' brat. I'm the adopted child, who lived in a fucked up home with fucked up parents. I'm the fuckin' brat who doesn't know what it's like to feel a real bond of anything anymore." He licked his dry lips and took in a deep breath. Grimmjow wiped his snot-filled nose with the back of his left hand. He sneered at the accumulated mucus on his hand.

"When you and I talked in the bathroom, Ichigo, you echoed the same damn thing Nel said... About accepting others, I mean... Everything you said to me just made me wonder why. I beat you up, but you looked to me for my friendship... I'll be damned if I ever said that it wasn't the best damn day of my fuckin' life here... You, man. You're like a fuckin' guardian angel of some sort that came to help me in my fucked up life," Grimmjow said as he rested his head against the bed again.

"I accept you, Ichigo," continued Grimmjow. "You shouldn't have been the one asking for acceptance... I should have been the one on my knees begging for your friendship. The fuckin' demon that I am stopped me because of my fuckin' pride." His eyes shifted to the ground between his legs. "I deserve to be punished in this way...to feel pain. After all I've done as a fuckin' demon, a delinquent, I should be the one being raped, I should be the one hung in my house's pantry, I should be the one getting the shit beat out of me!"

Tears burst from Grimmjow again. He didn't stop himself. Between his sobs, Grimmjow muttered, "Ichigo... you're...l-l-like...a bro...a brother...to me... So don't...don't...leave...me...I-I-I-Ichigo... I...I didn't...m-mean...for this...this to...h-h-happen...t-t-to you... Forgive me!... Forgive...m-my soul." Grimmjow finally buried his face in his hands. His wails were quiet, but his tears were loud. His sadness filled up the bedroom.

Ichigo felt the sadness long ago. He awoke when Grimmjow put him on the bed, but he kept quiet when Grimmjow announced his would tell him everything. Nothing, not even the pain, would stop him from hearing everything Grimmjow had to say. If Ichigo had to express himself in one word during the speech, he would say that he was happy. At the end of Grimmjow's speech, Ichigo wanted to jump in joy, for Grimmjow had both told him what he was hiding and claimed him as a brother. That was the line. Ichigo felt it. The exact line that he knew to bind them as blood. Shiro doesn't know, Chad doesn't know, Grimmjow doesn't know, but he does. Grimmjow was blood.

"Grimmjow," Ichigo groaned painfully. His throat was sore from screaming in so much pain, and he was still a bit tired from all of the energy he used to fight. When he saw Grimmjow turn to him suddenly, Ichigo gave a weak smile and tried to sit up. Ichigo yelped at the pain his movements caused and fell back onto the bed. His pelvis thudded, and his rear end burned.

"Ichigo," said Grimmjow in a concerned, low voice. He turned completely and rested on his knees. "Are you okay? What do you need, Ichigo? I'll help you." He bit his lip as he watched Ichigo fight his pain.

"Ahhhhh," yelled Ichigo when he tried to move his legs. He felt Grimmjow rest a hand on his shoulder. "It's okay," reassured Ichigo through clenched teeth. He hissed after he forcefully rolled onto his stomach. "Fuck that hurts," he complained into the pillow. His eyes gazed at the green cloth his face hid in. He quickly turned his head to face the blue haired man.

"I'm sorry," whimpered Grimmjow.

After frowning, Ichigo shook his head and countered, "Quit blaming yourself." He rested his weight on his forearms and added, "You didn't cause this, Grimmjow. I figured it to be a hate thing that you and Ikkaku had. I don't blame you for any of this. Don't even blame yourself for your mother's and father's deaths. You didn't cause it." Ichigo hissed again when he shifted, but he made a stern face to show that he was not in too much pain. He had to be strong; Ichigo wanted to be strong for Grimmjow. He looked at the blue haired man.

Grimmjow's eyes blinked upward. "So he did hear," he thought. He swallowed another lump and said, "You listened to me."

"Of course I did," replied Ichigo. "We're blood, Grimmjow. No one knows yet, but I know. You're blood."

The blue haired man took in a quivering breath and asked, "Ya mean that?"

Ichigo nodded. "With all my soul."

On the rooftop...

Shiro blinked after watching Grimmjow disappear down a nearby street. He growled after thinking so hard about considering Grimmjow as blood. The actions performed were that of blood, and he had to admit that those actions were the true statement on Grimmjow's position. That position allowed Shiro to trust Grimmjow with his King.

After pondering, he sighed. Shiro turned when he heard the rooftop door swing open. He saw Chad walk through; Chad had returned from his appointment. How Chad knew to look on the roof was a mystery to Shiro, but he couldn't complain. The big guy was there, and hell would break loose for anyone who woke up. Without waiting for any questions, Shiro asked, "Ya got th' knife?"

Chad pursed his lips and reached into his back pocket. He pulled out a switchblade, which he opened skillfully. As he walked toward the smaller male, he asked, "Who?" When he handed Shiro the blade, he looked around from his position and saw a few bodies. "A brawl?"

The white haired male nodded. "Ikkaku Madarame," said Shiro. "He's acid." Shiro looked at Chad and added, "Ya know what t' do."

The larger man nodded and walked over to Ikkaku. Without sparing any mercy, Chad jerked the knocked out form toward Shiro. Chad didn't bother to question what happened; Shiro would eventually tell him. He just knew that if Ikkaku was getting this, then Ikkaku must've messed up bad. Very few enemies had to endure this. Chad tore Ikkaku's school jacket and shirt, then he flipped the man on his stomach. He moved away.

Shiro pursed his lips as he looked at Ikkaku's bare back. "How do I want t' frame this?" he thought aloud. He place his left leg over Ikkaku's body and knelt down on both knees. Shiro didn't want Ikkaku to get away if he woke up. He looked up to ensure that Chad had pinned down Ikkaku's arms. After receiving a nod from Chad, Shiro smiled wickedly and flipped the knife in his hand.

"I'll make sure ya remember t'day, bitch," whispered Shiro to Ikkaku's limp form. "Ya'll know our names, and ya'll have m' King's name on ya back. Ya a label now: acid." Without further words, Shiro dug the knife into the right of Ikkaku's shoulder. Ikkaku didn't wake. Taking the advantage of some quiet, Shiro carved the Japanese symbol for "acid". Then, he carved his name on the other shoulder.

He flicked the blade when the blood started to block his view. Shiro then dug the knife deeply into the skin below his name. He felt a jolt from below, but Shiro didn't pay any mind. He quickly carved Chad's name. When Shiro saw the names and label gushing bits of blood, he smiled. He smudged the blood around playfully; he literally drew on Ikkaku's skin with the blood. After drawing and licking his lips into a greedy grin, Shiro carved his King's name onto the left side of Ikkaku's back just above the rear end. On the right side, Shiro dug the knife deeply again. He didn't hesitate, and he carved Grimmjow's name.

"Shiro?"

Shiro looked up with a raised eyebrow. "What?"

"I thought you only carved blood," said Chad. He was confused when he saw Grimmjow's name.

"I do," stated Shiro plainly. He got off of Ikkaku's back and admired his work. "That will scar nicely," he commented aloud.

Chad nodded in agreement after standing up fully. Because of Shiro's answer, Chad knew that he considered Grimmjow blood. He smiled inwardly when he thought of what reason Shiro had to change the label of acid. Figuring that Shiro would tell him later, Chad looked up at Shiro. "Did you knock him out?" he asked Shiro; he was considering the lethal battering on Ikkaku's face. .

"Na," answered Shiro. He was rereading Grimmjow's name. "Grimmjow fucked 'im up." Shiro looked from the bloody carvings to his hands. Both hands were smeared in blood, and the knife was just as stained. Blood. He always carved blood on his enemies' skin, and the names would be permanently marked in blood.

Shiro heard a groan from nearby and looked up. He saw Kira and Shuhei getting to their feet. When the two men locked eyes with him, they looked down at his feet. Their faces were painted with horror. Shiro simply grinned and gestured a hello. "Shuhei and Kira," he started. He looked at Chad and continued, "Give 'em somethin' t' remember. They're acid, too."

Chad pursed his lips as he cracked his knuckles. "No mercy for offenders of my blood," said Chad as he walked toward the men.

Kira looked at Shuhei, who rolled his neck and shoulders. He swallowed nervously as he watched Shuhei take a step forward for the challenge. Kira sighed and walked after his friend.

Shuhei sneered and lashed out first. He attempted to hit Chad it the face with a high roundhouse kick, but his foot was caught. He hopped helplessly as the larger man kicked at his lone leg. Shuhei fell to the ground; he arched his back in response to the slap his back made with the concrete.

The blonde pursed his lips and went in for the attack. He aimed a punch at Chad's ribcage, but the larger man caught his fist.

"Pity," said Chad. He squeezed Kira's fist, which popped in a few places.

Kira immediately withdrew his hand and held it close to his chest.

Chad took the open opportunity to quickly knock out Kira by sending a special punch to the Kira's temple. His fist made contact with its target; thus, Kira's head snapped sideways. The blonde tumbled to the ground.

The larger male blew on his right fist and muttered, "El Directo." He turned when he felt a kick to his abdomen. He didn't budge. Chad turned his head and said, "I hate dirty fighters." He lashed backwards and hit Shuhei in the jaw. The blow sent the black haired male onto the ground; the man didn't move. Chad blew on his left fist and muttered, "La Muerte."

"One hitter-quitters," cheered Shiro aloud from the background. "I love those." He looked down when he heard a pained groan from below. Ikkaku was trying to move. Shiro put his foot in the middle of the marks on Ikkaku's back to keep the man in place. "Ay, Chad," called Shiro, "cock face is awake." He smiled at the clever name.

Chad looked to Shiro's feet and huffed in excitement. He would probably find out what happened. He walked over to the two and looked down at Ikkaku.

"What the fuck," groaned Ikkaku as he tried to raise himself, but he was shoved downward by Shiro's foot. He turned his head to see his assailants; his visible eye widened when he saw Shiro and Chad.

"Have a nice nap?" asked Shiro with a maniacal grin.

In Grimmjow's room...

Grimmjow brought Ichigo tea and soup, which were requested by the injured man. He did his best to sit Ichigo up without putting the man in pain.

"Thanks, Grimmjow," said Ichigo as he rested against the pillows set up behind his back.

The blue haired man nodded. He sat on the bed as he watched Ichigo drink his tea and eat his soup. When Grimmjow was about to ask Ichigo a question, he heard a squeal from downstairs. "Oh shit," he said. He quickly looked at Ichigo and explained, "Nel's home. I'll explain everything to her, so she can help you. Right now, she's studying to be a nurse or something like that; she'll be able to give you the right meds and stuff."

"Grimmjoooooow!" squealed Nel. Her footsteps got louder as she approached the room. When she appeared in the doorway, she paused. Her green hair was tied up in a bun, and she was dressed in a nurse's robes. "Who's that, Grimmjow? Is he your boyfriend?"

"Friend," corrected Grimmjow with an irritated growl.

Nel wagged her finger and countered, "Don't get angry with me Mr. Grumpy Grim." She smiled when she heard Ichigo chuckle at the nickname. "I have big news, Grimmjow. I will announce them in front of your boyfriend."

"Friend," corrected Grimmjow in annoyance. He covered his face in embarrassment by using his right hand.

"Is he a boy?" asked Nel as she pulled out some papers from a carrier bag resting on her hip.

"Yes," growled Grimmjow from behind his hand.

"Is he your friend?" asked Nel as she arranged the papers neatly.

"Yes," sighed Grimmjow in defeat. He dropped his face in both hands.

"Then he's your boyfriend," concluded Nel with a triumphant smile. She cleared her throat to get Grimmjow's full attention. When he didn't look up, she pulled his ear.

Grimmjow looked up and swatted her hand away from his ear. "You know I hate that," he said in an annoyed tone.

She nodded her head with a smile. Nel giggled and said, "First off, I adopted you."

"What?" came Grimmjow's response. His eyes were wide in shock.

"Mhmm," nodded Nel as she looked at Grimmjow's shocked face. "I wanted to ensure that you have a promising future, so I adopted you. You are now my son." She smiled gleefully, then she looked serious. "You don't have to call me 'mom'. You can call me Nel, and you don't have to call me your 'mother'. I just want to make sure that you don't have to suffer in the future. You can fully rely on me now."

Grimmjow was speechless.

"That's awesome," said Ichigo giving Grimmjow a nudge and smile. When the man didn't blink, Ichigo frowned. Then, he smiled when an idea popped into his head. To make Grimmjow get out of his stupor, he whispered, "Now I can say, 'your mom is hot'." He received a glare, which he didn't mind at all.

Grimmjow opened his mouth to retaliate, but he was cut off by Nel's voice.

"The second is that the police have informed me that your recent parents' killer was caught. It turns out that he has been pillaging people's homes for the past month. He's actually labeled as a serial killer," said Nel with a serious tone. "The police want to know if you want to go to court to witness the man's conviction."

The blue haired man looked at his hands. Grimmjow had been waiting for news like that, but he didn't know how to react. All of his emotions were swirling at the moment, so he didn't know how to feel, either. Grimmjow did know something, though: he wanted Ichigo and Nel with him the whole time. He felt Ichigo and Nel lay an encouraging hand on his shoulders. He looked at Ichigo then at Nel. "What's his name?"

Nel sighed. Her eyes saddened as she answered, "Nnoitra Jiruga."

**Author's note:**

**Yup! That's how the cookie crumbles. Ichigo's trying to be supportive and strong, and Grimmjow is trying to deal with everything. **

**I had fun writing the part on the rooftop. Ikkaku deserved it. **

**Anywho, go ahead and review or do something you normally do. **


	8. What It Means to Be Blood

**Chapter Eight: What It Means to Be Blood**

Shiro cackled as Ikkaku stared up in horror. Ikkaku didn't expect to see Shiro and Chad together; he knew both men were notorious for their fighting skills and low tempers. He specifically recalled the situation regarding Yammy's transfer, which was caused by some bodily torture done by Shiro and Chad. The bald man clenched his teeth when he felt Shiro's shoe touch a sensitive spot on his back, causing a searing burn.

"What did he do?" asked Chad as he looked down at Ikkaku's pathetic form. He really wanted to know what happened, so Chad looked up at Shiro.

The white haired man wiped a tear away from his left eye and stated, "Man, his face was priceless." He cleared his throat as he folded the knife and handed it back to Chad. Shiro's eyes narrowed, and his golden eyes darkened, making his entire expression malicious. "Chad, ya know that I don't imprint our names for no reason," started Shiro.

He looked down at Ikkaku with his darkened expression and continued, "He has done somethin' that makes him 'acid,' but he deserves a worse title than that." He ground his foot into Ikkaku's back, causing the victim to groan in pain. "This cocksucker decided t' be a tough guy and rape my King!" growled Shiro; he ground his foot down again. "He also beat my King like a mutt from the streets!" This time, Shiro stomped his foot down mercilessly.

Ikkaku screamed as he clawed at the gravel for some sort of comfort. After his scream, he panted heavily, and his eyes were lidded with tears. He couldn't bear the pain.

"Oh, cocksucker," called Shiro in a whimsical voice. He stomped his foot down when he didn't get a response from the downed man. When he got a pleasant scream, Shiro said, "Did ya know that I hate people, such as ya, who I call 'acid?'"

The bald man clenched his teeth. He would not give the other men the satisfaction of hearing him scream. When he felt the school shoe rub his skin, Ikkaku growled between his teeth.

"Ya feel all that pain, don't ya, cocksucker?" mocked Shiro as he grinned evilly. He didn't care to stomp the man, so Shiro continued, "That pain ya feel. It's no where near the pain ya caused my King. His pain will forever stain him 'cause ya took something precious from my King, his innocence." Shiro leaned down and traced 'acid' with his forefinger. When he felt the man below him stiffen, Shiro licked his lips and thrust his finger into the wound.

Ikkaku cried out in pain.

"How ya like the feelin' in return?" asked Shiro as he withdrew his finger. Blood poured from the wound in droplets. Not caring for the other's pain, Shiro stabbed the wound again to make more blood spill. While Ikkaku whimpered, he traced the blood on Ikkaku's back again, but he made sure to write 'rapist' and 'remember my king's pain.' When he thought he heard Ikkaku sniffle with tears, Shiro said, "If ya wondering where the pain is comin' from, I won't tell ya." He removed his foot and set it on the ground by Ikkaku's head. Shiro jerked his head toward Ikkaku at Chad; he moved away to watch the show.

The taller man nodded his head and knelt forward. He lifted Ikkaku's chin to look into the other's eyes. He frowned when he noticed red eyes with tears at the edges. "Consider him leaving you conscious as a sign of mercy," said Chad. He then grabbed Ikkaku's shoulders and flipped the man onto his back.

Ikkaku burst out with a scream as he felt the gravel rub against his wounded back. His back was burning completely. He felt as if his back was being whipped with streams of fire. Ikkaku clenched his eyes shut to block out the light from the sun and block out the sight of Chad.

"I hope you realize that you raped Ichigo, who is practically my brother," started Chad. He looked down at the man, showing Ikkaku his maliciously narrowed brow and pursed lips. "I don't take kindly to those who hurt my family. I don't care if you're some popular joke or a dipshit nerd, I will punish those who deserve it," added Chad. He cracked his knuckles and punched Ikkaku in the jaw.

The bald man didn't care for the pain in his jaw, but he cared for the damage Chad might cause. He knew Chad was a good fighter, and he knew that the other always won his fights. He remembered Chad had actually broken some of the toughest kids' bones with just a single swing of his fist. If Ikkaku had to summarize his perception of Chad and his feelings toward Chad, he would say that Chad was a demon he deeply feared. He grunted when the other side of his face was hit; as a result, he couldn't move his jaw correctly.

"The wounds on your back are there for more than pain," said Chad as he stared at Ikkaku's deformed jaw and bruised cheeks. "Those wounds are for you to remember this day. Your label is 'acid,' for acid is something that can damage others horribly. What you did today, earned you that dishonor. You will also remember us, for our names are engraved within your skin." Chad got to his feet. "Those are your scars to share from today." With those last words, he looked at Shiro, who nodded in satisfaction.

"Shall we?" asked Shiro as he gestured toward the roof door with his right hand. His expression was no longer vicious. He looked bored and disinterested. The reason was that he was satisfied. How could he have such a dissatisfied expression for a satisfied result? Shiro didn't care to smile at another's final suffering, for he knew the pain would be subsided with medicine and the wounds would be patched up with bandages.

Recognizing the face, Chad nodded and walked toward the door. As he descended the stairs, he said, "Where's Ichigo?"

The other shrugged his shoulders and replied, "Grimmjow has 'im. I don't know the guy's number, so we're gonna have t' figure it out." When he reached the bottom of the stairs, Shiro led the way toward the school office. Classes would be ending in an hour anyway, at least that's what Shiro thought from glancing at a clock above the lockers.

"Grimmjow cares for him?" asked Chad as he walked alongside his friend. He recalled Grimmjow being called "Grimmfuck," so the change in name usage was odd.

"Not sure," replied Shiro. He saw the concern and anger in Grimmjow's eyes on the roof. The other man was clearly not in the mood for any objections from Shiro. He did let the other run away with his brother, and he didn't regret it. Shiro knew there was more after witnessing Grimmjow beat the crap out of Ikkaku and care for Ichigo. He didn't know what 'more' meant to him yet, but he would find out.

In Grimmjow's room...

Nel observed the bruises, cuts, and penetration wound on Ichigo's body. She had taken the freedom to apply peroxide to all wounds, ice all bruises, and bandage all cuts. She couldn't do much for the penetration wound, but she did suggest leaving ice on it to prevent swelling, which led to Ichigo's current state of laying on his stomach with a bag of ice on his rear end.

"You didn't have to hide from us," called Nel toward the hall. She raised an eyebrow when Grimmjow didn't enter the room from the hallway. "Mr. Grumpy Grim, get in here!" She knew that nickname always got Grimmjow to do what she wanted.

When he heard his nickname from Nel's mouth, Grimmjow peered around the door frame and asked, "Is he okay?" He really didn't want to see all of the damages on Ichigo's body. He felt he had already seen enough blood, so he stayed outside of his room when Nel got to working on Ichigo.

"I'm fine," defended Ichigo from his position. "You don't have to hide anymore. I'm covered and pain free...for now." He sighed when Grimmjow slowly entered the room. "Don't act like I have some disease," said Ichigo to the blue haired man. He didn't like the way Grimmjow was acting too cautious; he deemed the quiet steps and sucked lips unnecessary.

"I'm not acting like you have a disease," countered Grimmjow as he pouted and crossed his arms.

Nel shook her head at the two boys, who bickered about diseases and the technical definition. "You two act like little brothers," said Nel as she stared at the two. When the boys stopped arguing to look at her, Nel smiled. "You guys are really close." She put her gaze on Grimmjow and asked, "So you finally gave someone a chance?" She didn't care if Grimmjow answered, for the question was rhetorical. "I'm proud of you, Grimmjow," lauded Nel. "Very proud." She got to her feet and patted Grimmjow's shoulder. As she walked toward the door, she turned her head and cheerfully asked, "Do you two want chocolate chip pancakes?"

Grimmjow looked at Ichigo, who nodded his head furiously. He turned to Nel and answered, "Yes, please." Before Nel could turn, Grimmjow quickly walked over and gave the woman a hug.

The other was shocked by the hug, so she just placed her arms around Grimmjow's midsection and rubbed his back. Now that she was his legal guardian slash mother, Nel felt the ability to convey motherly tenderness.

"Thanks," he said, "for supporting me and my best friend." After letting her go, Grimmjow gave a weak smile. He never initiated a hug with Nel, so he surprised himself a little. When he looked down at Nel, he saw a set of motherly eyes gazing up at him. Grimmjow knew Nel was only a few years older than him, but he couldn't help his happy, gushing heart

"Oh, Mr. Grumpy Grim," squealed Nel as she playfully pinched Grimmjow's cheek. "You are just so sweet!" When the other blushed and looked down, Nel just squealed more and added, "I'm doubling the pancake load. How does that sound?"

"That sounds awesome, Grimmjow's mom!" cheered Ichigo from behind Grimmjow's tall form.

"You can just call me Nel," said she as she waved off the childish address.

"Okay, Nel," said Ichigo with a smile. He quickly turned to his fingers and stared at them fiddle around with each other when Grimmjow looked at him. Grimmjow was still blushing from the mother-son interaction, so Ichigo quickly said, "Your mom's hot." He tried to hide his chuckle in the pillow beneath him.

After shaking his head with a big smile, Grimmjow went to his friend's side and sat on the edge of the bed. "How ya feeling?" asked Grimmjow. Despite receiving the reassurance earlier, he still wondered about Ichigo's well being.

"I'm fine, mother hen," replied Ichigo as his eyes drifted toward Grimmjow. When he saw the guilt in the other's face again, Ichigo chewed on his lower lip and muffled, "So how are Nel's pancakes?" He really didn't want Grimmjow to be bummed out again.

The blue haired man knew that Ichigo read his facial expression perfectly, so he didn't bother to push the subject. When he changed his thoughts to Nel's pancakes, he smiled and replied, "Nel makes fantastic pancakes. Every piece is like heaven on a fork." He gazed into Ichigo's eyes. "No hate," he thought, "I like that."

"Heaven on a fork, huh?" asked Ichigo as looked at the other. Wanting to keep Grimmjow's mind from returning to sadness, Ichigo asked, "So are her chocolate chip pancakes even better?"

Grimmjow sniffed the air and replied, "Smell for yourself." After he smelt the pancakes, he instantly thought of the chocolate chips within. His mouth was drooling. He hunched forward on his knees and dreamily said, "That smells so good."

Ichigo sniffed the air and instantly drooled. "That must be heaven calling for us," said Ichigo. His eyes lidded as his stomach started to growl. "I can smell the chocolate," he drooled. He blinked when he heard Grimmjow's house phone ring.

The other man pursed his lips when he had to get up and stop enjoying the smell of the Nel's chocolate chip pancakes. He looked back at Ichigo and said, "I'll be right back. Stay here."

With a meaningful scowl, Ichigo countered, "I don't think I'll be getting up anytime soon." When Grimmjow turned his back, he muttered, "Mr. Grumpy Grim."

"I heard that," replied Grimmjow with a quick turn. He tried to make a grimace, but he had to smile at his chuckling friend. He didn't care for the ringing phone in the background, for he enjoyed the sight of his smiling friend. Grimmjow had to admit that Ichigo's bright smile and glowing hair made the atmosphere both peaceful and happy.

"Go answer your phone, Mr. Grumpy Grim," ordered Ichigo with a big smile. "Hurry up before the guy on the other end gets irritated." He was waving his hand at his friend to go.

With a cross of his arms, Grimmjow retorted, "Oh, you're really funny, and I don't care to answer people on time." After Ichigo playfully stuck his tongue out at him, Grimmjow just rolled his eyes and turned around. He made sure to mumble, "Child." Then he quickened his pace into the hallway to both escape Ichigo's comeback and to get the phone. "I got it!" called Grimmjow as he walked toward the phone and picked up the receiver.

"Hello," greeted Grimmjow as he leaned against the wall. He sounded happy toward the other speaker.

"Grimmjow?" came a deep voice.

"Who is this?" asked Grimmjow as he narrowed his eyes in suspicion.

"Chad," replied the other. "I was calling about Ichigo. Is he okay?"

Grimmjow's eyebrows rose. "How did they get this number?" he thought. After some pondering, he concluded in his mind, "Nel changed the numbers." After exhaling a sigh, Grimmjow replied to Chad, "He's fine. My mother's a nurse, so she was able to help Ichigo with his injuries." He shifted his weight onto his feet. He heard the other make a relieved sigh.

"I was worried," said Chad. "I hope I'm not being rude when I ask where Ichigo is."

"You're not rude at all," responded Grimmjow. "He wants to know where. Would he be angry with where Ichigo is?" pondered the blue haired man. After Chad asked for the location again, Grimmjow replied, "He's with me in my home." He heard Shiro's voice in the background, so he concluded that he was on speaker. The sound of the phone being shifted emanated from the phone.

Shiro's demonic voice filled Grimmjow's ears as he asked, "Where do ya live?" When Grimmjow didn't respond, Shiro said, "I may seem cold, but I ain't, especially when my King's involved. I need t' support my King. He's special t' me, and I don't want to lose 'im over a grudge."

Grimmjow heard the sadness in Shiro's voice. Witnessing that kind of emotion from Shiro was rare, so he felt some compassion toward the other. After he cleared his throat, Grimmjow gave Shiro directions to his home.

"Tell my King that I love 'im," said Shiro. Guilt and worry laced his voice.

"Yeah," came Grimmjow's response. After that word, he hung up the phone and sniffed. He had never heard someone sound so strong with emotion like Shiro did at that moment. Grimmjow was even surprised to even hear 'love' from Shiro's mouth. "Heh," thought he, "love laced by love from the human mouth." After feeling awkward for staring at the phone and thinking about love, Grimmjow turned his attention toward his room.

He quickly made his way over to his room and looked inside. He found Ichigo fiddling with the pillow his head was on. Grimmjow quietly chuckled as Ichigo twiddled with the corners of the pillow. When the other slammed his head in the pillow with boredom, Grimmjow purposely laughed aloud.

"Were you watching me?" asked Ichigo, who quickly picked his head up and scowled at Grimmjow's amused form.

After taking in a dramatic breath, Grimmjow replied, "Yeah." He walked into the room and reclaimed his spot on the edge of his bed. "Shiro called," announced he.

"What did he say?" asked Ichigo. He was looked up at Grimmjow with a little more interest. If his brother called, then the conversation must have been very important.

"He said he love you," replied Grimmjow. He saw a bright emotion run over Ichigo's face, which led to a happy squeal and smile. Right as he was about to make a smart remark about Ichigo's childish behavior, Nel burst in with a tray.

"Pancakes!" announced Nel. She set the tray down on the little side table Grimmjow had next to his bed. The tray had two plates mounted with chocolate chip pancakes drenched in syrup. Two glasses of milk and utensils were set by their respective trays. "Do you need help with eating your food?" asked Nel to Ichigo.

The orange haired man shook his head and replied, "I'll figure it out." Ichigo set to trying to move around to gain a better advantage over the pancakes. He looked like a confused seal trying to squirm on sand. When he was able to turn himself to a comfortable angle, Ichigo cheered, "Hurrah!"

Grimmjow shook his head with smile. He gently patted Ichigo's head and said, "Good job." He scooted the side table closer to the bed, so Ichigo didn't have to struggle with reaching. The result was a very happy orange haired best friend with a perfect reach to a large stack of chocolate chip pancakes.

"Hope you like 'em," said Nel with a proud smile.

"You know you make the best pancakes in the world," said Grimmjow looking up at Nel. "The best!" He dug into the pancakes with a hungry greed.

"He's not kidding," mumbled Ichigo through a mouthful. After swallowing some of the cake, Ichigo praised, "I've never had pancakes like this. It's like heaven within a heaven." He drank some milk to wash down the pancakes.

Nel flashed a smile and bowed as she said, "Thank you so much." The doorbell suddenly rang. "Huh?" wondered Nel as she looked toward the general direction of her front door. "I wonder who that is," said she with hands on her hips. She turned and said, "I'll be back with more pancakes after I see who's at the door." When the boys muffled okay, she nodded and went into the hallway.

The green haired woman made her way down the stairs and toward the front door. She asked, "Who's there?"

"Friends of Ichigo," came a deep voice.

Nel opened the door and gaped at the extremely tall man, who Nel guessed must've answered. Of course, Nel was short, so anything above six feet amazed her. "Who again?" she asked. Her eyes went to the white haired man, who had a smudge of blood across the bottom of his eye. Nel panicked at the sight and quickly went to close the door.

Shiro frowned and stopped the door with one arm. He studied the woman's face and deduced that she was in fright. He pursed his lips and said, "What's the matter with ya?"

The woman shook her head furiously and challenged his stare with narrowed eyes and pursed lips of her own. "I don't allow strangers to enter my home," she defended.

With an irritated sigh, Shiro countered, "Didn't ya hear my buddy say we were friends of Ichigo? Well, I'm his brother."

Nel put her hands on her hips and retorted, "I don't believe that Ichigo, the young cutie pie with orange hair, is related to you." She was trying to sound as intimidating as possible, but her voice was too sweet. She didn't like random people at her door with blood on their faces. After seeing the white haired man, Nel didn't like the way he looked overall. His eyes seemed too suspicious, and his frown seemed malicious to her.

Chad caught Shiro trying to get in Nel's face, so he quickly held the other back. "Shiro!" growled Chad. "This is probably Grimmjow's sister, so quit acting this way!" He shoved Shiro behind him. When he was able to calm other down, Chad looked at Nel and said in a gentle voice, "Can we please enter? Ichigo is my best friend, and he is Shiro's brother. We were just worried about him."

"I didn't get your name," said Nel as she leaned against the door frame.

"Sado. You can call me Chad," answered he. "Are you Grimmjow's sister?"

With a giggle and a wave of her hand, Nel replied, "Oh no. I'm his mother." She laughed more when the two men looked at her in shock. She quickly answered their confused faces with, "I'm his adoptive mother." After feeling that Chad was more trustworthy, Nel moved aside and said, "Come in, boys."

Chad walked in and took a look at his surroundings. The random green walls and white furniture reminded him of the ads in magazines. "How fancy," he thought.

As Shiro walked through the door, he eyed Nel warily. His eyes narrowed again in a challenging manner when Nel gestured that she was watching him with her fingers. After the woman closed her door, Shiro tried not to growl as he asked, "Where's Ichigo?"

Nel crossed her arms at Shiro, for she heard the growl. "Delinquent," she thought. She walked toward the stairs and said, "His room is up there. You'll see the light coming out of the room. Please be gentle with Ichigo. He's very hurt right now." Without looking at Shiro, Nel asked, "Would you boys like some pancakes?" She felt the need to be a motherly host toward her son's guests.

"No. Thanks, though," replied Chad with a warm smile. The reason for his more gentle nature was due to the fact that Nel was Grimmjow's mother. He always remembered to respect his elders. After the woman nodded at him, she left toward another lit room.

Shiro didn't wait for Nel or Chad; he ran up the stairs and stopped in front of Grimmjow's room. His heart melted at the chocolatey face of his brother. "King," he called with loving eyes.

"Hm?" came Ichigo's reply as he looked up. His cheeks were puffed out with pancakes, and his mouth and chin were smothered in chocolate. His eyes widened with delight as he attempted to say, "Shiro!"

"Ah, King. Don't talk with ya mouth full," said Shiro as he walked over. He looked at Grimmjow, and a more serious look came upon Shiro's face. "Grimmjow," he started. He held out his hand, which was thoroughly washed.

Grimmjow took the offered hand and nodded his head. He didn't show his expression when Shiro called him by his actual name, but Grimmjow felt more accepted by Shiro. Shiro's grasp was firm and strong, so he thought that Shiro was more physically strong as Ichigo was emotionally.

Ichigo smiled. Chocolate helped make a brown clown smile. "Shiro said, 'Grimmjow,'" thought Ichigo, "he must accept Grimmjow. His name was said with praise." He kept his happy gaze on his brother and Grimmjow.

"I thank ya," said Shiro. Chad came in as he continued, "If ya hadn't have came when ya did, I don't think King would look as healthy and happy as he does now." With a small smile, he nodded his head at Grimmjow.

"If ya don't know already, Grimmjow," said Shiro, "Chad and I don't accept bastards who lay their fingers on blood. Thus, we labeled the cocksucker, Ikkaku, and credited his title with our names."

"Labeled?" asked Grimmjow with a raised eyebrow.

Chad stepped forward and answered, "When we see an enemy most worthy of his label, which is usually 'acid,' we make sure the title is scarred on his back for him to remember. We also put our names on his back." He looked to Ichigo, who had downcast eyes. Chad looked back at Grimmjow and finished, "Ikkaku was most worthy of 'acid,' so we labeled him with my knife. Our names are on his back, and we only carve blood. Those who are acid or water don't have a place on the enemy's back." He crossed his arms.

"Whose names are on Ikkaku's back now?" asked Ichigo with lowered eyes. He felt Grimmjow settle a hand on his back and pat him gently.

Shiro's eyes saddened at his brother's reaction to the subject. He didn't want his king to feel anything toward Ikkaku's name. He expected his king to wave off Ikkaku's name, so his king's real reaction made him want to snarl out a curse at Ikkaku's name. To appease his king, Shiro replied, "Chad, you, me, and Grimmjow."

Ichigo's eyes snapped upward. He looked at his brother with disbelief. "You mean that, Shiro? Grimmjow's name's on Ikkaku's back?" he questioned.

Shiro nodded.

Grimmjow was looking at Shiro as if he were an angel sent down to announce his future. With an expecting feeling and a nervous gulp, Grimmjow asked, "So what does that mean?"

"You're blood," answered Shiro. He put his hands in his pockets as he leaned to one side. When Grimmjow still looked dumbfounded, he added, "And as blood, you have responsibilities. Ya are t' defend those who are also blood, ya are expected t' fight when needed, and ya are t' always put blood before any girl. Failure t' follow these simple rules results in labeling as 'water.'"

"I don't get it," said Grimmjow. "Are you three some type of gang?" He didn't want to get involved with a gang; he just wanted friends. He hoped they weren't, for he knew the three were known for being devious around quarrels and vicious in fights. He would probably fit in, but Grimmjow wasn't up for a bad reputation.

Shiro just laughed and shook his head. With a happy sigh, Shiro corrected, "A family, not a gang. We don't associate ourselves with the lowly gangs who try to be tough. You're a part of our family, Grimmjow. Like a brother. That's what it means to be blood."

**Author's note:**

**Oh yeah! Grimmjow's officially blood people. :)**

**I hope you all enjoyed that as much as I did writing it. Have a nice night/day/evening. lol**


	9. Blood's Greatest Enemy

**Hey look! Another chapter. :) **

**My notes are at the bottom. **

**Chapter Nine: Blood's Greatest Enemy**

Ichigo had finally healed. When he was still hurt, he had to be carefully supported in Chad's arms to go home. That night, he couldn't remember the number of times he thanked Nel for her professional help. The woman just waved off the thanks with a "It's my duty" explanation.

Of course, Shiro played conductor on Chad's handling of Ichigo. The orange haired man was frowning as he was constantly shifted in Chad's arms. The entire charade of caring for Ichigo's sensitive state was supported by Grimmjow. After all, the blue haired man was considered blood.

Ichigo was glad Shiro accepted Grimmjow. In fact, he was more than glad; he was excited. He knew that Grimmjow would make it to blood. He just knew it. The other was definitely more, and he appreciated every part of Grimmjow's friendship and brotherhood.

When they had gotten home, Isshin made a huge scene about Ichigo's condition. The old man was taken down by Chad, who was only restraining the man from smothering the son. Shiro had to explain the entire situation to Isshin, and Grimmjow added the recovery story of Ichigo's adventure.

In the end, Isshin was under more control, but that didn't stop him from sobbing on his wife's poster about his son being kicked around and saved at school. Ichigo was too sore to scold the old man from his slanted position against Shiro and Grimmjow. At least the healing process wasn't so bad.

Ichigo flexed his arms and legs to show Grimmjow, Shiro, Chad, and Isshin that his body was fine. He was getting annoyed with all of the muscle questions and the overwhelming amount of concern. He was a big boy, and they just had to know that. He even slipped on a "Nice Vibe" shirt and light blue jeans all by himself.

"Are ya sure?" Shiro questioned again. His arms were crossed, and his face was drooped in disbelief. His black striped shirt and gray jeans made his white skin stand out more than usual.

Ichigo's right eye twitched at the question. With a quick clutch of his fist, he slammed his fist into Shiro's abdomen. As his brother hunched over and fell to his knees with a groan, Ichigo said, "My arm's working well. Hmmmm. Maybe I should test my leg." He raised his leg and used it to slam Shiro onto the ground. He ground his foot into Shiro's shoulder blade.

Shiro was sprawled on the floor. He turned his head and groaned, "Ya well. Great." His head fell to rest on the ground. "Ow. That really hurt," he mentally whined.

"Great to see you in action, Ichigo," said Chad with a thumbs up. He wore a maroon shirt and dickie shorts.

Grimmjow as busy laughing at Shiro. After the other glared at him, Grimmjow fanned himself and took in a deep breath. "Good job, Ichigo. You just put Shiro in your place on your first day," he said with amusement. His black shirt ruffled from more chuckles, and his blue pants crinkled from the body's shivering.

Isshin wore his tropical shirt and doctor's coat. "I SEE THAT YOU ARE WELL, MY SON!" he yelled with his arms outstretched. With a quick narrow of his eyes, he jumped up and spun to swing his foot at Ichigo's face.

Chad reached out and caught Isshin's foot. Using his strength, he brought Isshin down with a loud thud. As the father was rubbing his butt from being slammed onto the ground, Chad asked, "Testing Ichigo's strength seems a bit too soon, don't you think?"

With a grumbly pout, Isshin crawled out of the room with a loud, "I SHALL TEST YOU LATER, ICHIGO! BE PREPARED!"

Ichigo rolled his eyes. "Crazy old man," he grumbled under his breath. "MAYBE YOU SHOULD GO GET YOUR BRAIN CHECKED!" he yelled at the open door toward his father.

Shiro got to his feet and held onto his abdomen. "Man, King. Did ya have t' hit me that hard?" he whined as he walked to his bed still bent over. When he got to his bed, Shiro plopped down and leaned on his knees.

"What did I ever do t' deserve that?" asked Shiro as he breathed deeply.

"Maybe you shouldn't have asked him the same question five times in a row," suggested Chad from his position against the wall. He was smiling at his friend's condition.

Grimmjow leaned against the wall to steady himself as he laughed more. He couldn't believe that Ichigo's father was that rough on his own son. He also couldn't believe that Chad and Shiro were also rough on the old man. The last part that topped off everything was Ichigo's and Shiro's violent rough housing toward one another. Come to think of the whole family, Grimmjow never had that kind of bond. He had a father and a mother, but he never had such a relationship where violence showed love.

He actually took some time the other day to compare his old life with Ichigo's, and he concluded something very important: his family went downhill for sure. Grimmjow thought that maybe the new rough personalities of his family were for love, but after his thoughts, he just knew he was dead wrong.

Despite the recent death of his parents, Grimmjow was more happy. He would admit to anyone who asked that he was happier. Why? He's recognized by the Kurosaki brothers and Chad as blood and as a brother, he's recognized as a son by Nel, and he's recognized as a best friend by Ichigo.

Ichigo was special to Grimmjow. The other just made him smile, made him laugh, and made him feel welcome. That's why he envied the orange haired man. The other had it all, and Grimmjow felt as part of it. Because of Ichigo, Grimmjow felt whole.

"Who's up for the mall?" asked Ichigo with a fist in the air. He was smiling at all of his friends in the room. He really wanted to get away from the house, for he had spent the last few days recovering in the same room.

"Mall?" asked Shiro from his stooped position. "Do I really gotta?" He looked up with his scary eyes. "Please say no," he thought.

The orange haired brother sighed and said, "Yes, you gotta." He was frowning at his brother. Of all the requests to try to refuse, Ichigo would not allow Shiro to slip away from a trip to the mall. He shook his head when Shiro sighed and nodded his head.

Chad pushed away from the wall and walked over to Shiro. He patted the other on the back and said, "Don't worry, Shiro. Everything will be okay. We won't shop for any clothes." He chuckled when the other looked up at him with narrowed eyes.

"Ya better not, Chad! Ya know I don't have the patience t' shop. There's t' many numbers and colors. Eh!" Shiro complained. He rubbed at his head to feign a headache.

"Hmmmm," hummed Grimmjow from the other wall. "I do need a new jacket." His eyes floated over to Shiro as his lips curved into a sly smile. He chuckled.

Shiro got to his feet and declared, "No one shall shop, or I will go insane." He stomped away and out the door. He was grumbling under his breath about needy people and unnecessary malls.

"Has he always hated the mall?" asked Grimmjow to the remaining two in the room. His blue eyes shifted from Chad to Ichigo.

Ichigo shook his head and replied, "Shiro never liked shopping. He realized it when he went shopping with his ex-girlfriend, Orihime. According to Shiro, the girl wouldn't shut her mouth the entire way, and she asked for him to carry most of her bags." When he saw the other raise an eyebrow at the explanation, Ichigo added, "They broke up the following weekend. Shiro didn't want to deal with anymore shopping sprees."

"Sprees?" asked Grimmjow.

"They went every weekend for a month," Ichigo informed. He crossed his arms. Ichigo remembered all of the days he had to deal with Shiro complaining about Orihime's shopping problem. He shook his head at the memory. He sighed again and said, "I almost felt bad."

Chad laughed and chipped in, "Remember that time Shiro came home with bags of stuff for him. Orihime just had to get him the latest styles." He thumbed at the door as he said, "Thus, Shiro looks like a male model in the family catalog."

Grimmjow smiled and agreed. Shiro did, indeed, look very fashionable.

Ichigo shrugged and announced, "Alright. Let's follow my brother before he decides to hide somewhere." He led the way down the stairs and around the corner of the hallway. He frowned when Shiro was nowhere in sight. With a roll of his eyes and shake of his head, Ichigo called out, "Shiro! Get from behind the couch and hurry to put your shoes on! We're going to the mall!" He cocked a brow as he watched Shiro stand up with a pout and walk toward the door.

The blue haired man was amazed. He whispered to Ichigo, "How'd you know he was there?" He was still looking at Shiro, who was putting on his shoes as he grumbled.

The orange haired companion shrugged his shoulders and replied, "He hides there all the time. I've told him to change his hiding spot, but he doesn't seem to get that reverse psychology won't ever come into play when he constantly hides behind the couch."

Blue eyes were jerked into confusion. "Really?" he thought.

Chad moved around the staring pair and walked toward the door, where he put on his shoes. He looked up at Grimmjow and Ichigo, who were still chatting, and shook his head. With a sly smile, Chad looked at Shiro and nudged him a little.

Shiro looked toward his brother and smiled, for he knew what Chad was motioning for him to do. He cupped his hands around his mouth and mock yelled, "Ay, ya love birds! Are ya comin' or what?" When Ichigo turned to him with a grimace, Shiro chuckled and made a run for the door with Chad right behind him.

"I love gettin' his attention," said Shiro as he stopped at the sidewalk with Chad.

"I knew you'd get their attention," added Chad as he stood with a smile. He crossed his arms and said, "Now, we wait."

After a few seconds, Ichigo burst from the front door and sprinted toward the sidewalk. "Shiro!" he growled.

"Shit," muttered Shiro and made a run toward the mall's direction.

Chad stood there as he watched Ichigo chase Shiro. He chuckled. "I'll never get tired of those two," he thought with a brighter smile.

Grimmjow peacefully waltzed toward Chad and looked up. "Are they gonna run the whole way there?" he asked. After asking, he watched Ichigo's and Shiro's forms shrink in the distance.

"Unless Ichigo catches him," answered Chad with a shrug. After giving the situation some thought, he said, "Ichigo'll probably catch him by the next block." He raised an eyebrow when he heard a shriek. To him, that meant he was right. Chad jerked his head for the other to follow him towards the mall. "Let's make sure Ichigo didn't wail on him too badly," Chad suggested.

After making sure that Shiro's body was still functional, the group walked through the glass doors of the mall. Inside the building, there was a huge dome glass as the center ceiling. Stores lined the sides, and smaller stands littered the center. A huge fountain, made to look like a giant mountain with fish in the water and little trees on the edges, towered high, almost touching the tip of the glass dome.

"Whoa," was Grimmjow's first impression as he looked at the fountain. "I've never seen such a huge water fountain." His blue eyes were wide.

Ichigo smiled at his best friend and said, "You wanna touch the fishies?" When Grimmjow looked at the other with a frown, the orange haired teaser mended, "I'm just kidding. There are fish in the fountain, though. Wanna see?"

Just as about Grimmjow was going to answer, he heard a high pitched squeal. He winced and muttered, "Oh, man." Grimmjow slapped his forehead.

"Hey, Mr. Grumpy Grim!" called Nel from the exit of a store. She was holding a few bags.

"Ya ma is actually here?" asked Shiro. He crossed his arms with narrowed eyes, for he and Nel still weren't on good terms. Shiro watched the green haired woman jumble over toward them and drop the bags to give Grimmjow a hug.

"Neeeeeel," hissed Grimmjow as he hugged back.

"Don't be that way, Grimmjow," said Nel with a warning tone. She hugged the other tighter. After hearing her son gasp for breath, she let him go and turned toward the others. When she saw Ichigo, Nel squealed and asked, "How are you, Ichigo?" Without waiting for an answer, she squeezed Ichigo, too.

"I'm fine," Ichigo managed to say. After being let go, he took in a deep breath. When Nel turned away, Ichigo looked at Grimmjow with a slick smile.

"Don't go there," said Grimmjow pointing at the other accusingly. He knew what the other wanted to say. Ichigo had yet to stop telling him about Nel's rockin' hot body. He didn't disagree, but hearing the comment from Ichigo's mouth was plain creepy.

"Chad," squealed Nel. She gave the tall man a hug, but she couldn't squeeze the life out of him. The other just tapped her on the back and commented on her peach dress. Nel thanked him and turned to Shiro.

Nel put her hands on her hips when Shiro turned his head the other way. Deciding that the other would get a hug out of fairness, Nel tackle hugged the white haired man.

Shiro gasped from the impact and strength of the woman's arms. He wheezed, "Okay, okay. Stop! I can't breathe." When he was let go, Shiro took in deep breaths and said, "I'm trying to live here."

"It's not like I meant to deprive you of air," said Nel with a shrug. "That's the way I express my niceness." She pouted when Shiro gave her a deadly glare. "If you keep looking at me like that, you're face might just get stuck that way," warned she with a fist.

Rolling his eyes, Shiro said, "Whatever." He looked to Ichigo and Grimmjow for some kind of help from the woman.

Grimmjow picked up the s.o.s. look from Shiro, so he picked up Nel's bags and called, "Nel." He thought that the woman may have some other store to go to, so he was carrying her bags and holding them up.

The green haired woman looked back at her son and she nodded. Nel turned her attention back to Shiro and hissed, "Be nice to my boy." She spun on her heel and walked toward Grimmjow. When she got to her son, Nel said, "Mr. Grumpy Grim, can you hold my bags. I really need to hit the ladies' room."

When the blue haired man heard his nickname, Grimmjow knew that Nel wanted him to do something. With a small sigh and smile, Grimmjow nodded. "Take as long as you need to," he encouraged. Nel thanked him and ran off toward the bathrooms.

When Nel was far from hearing range, Shiro suggested, "I say we ditch 'er." He really wanted to be as far from the woman as possible.

"You afraid of Grimmjow's mom?" teased Chad. He put his hands in his pockets when Shiro turned on him.

"No!" bit Shiro. His golden eyes were narrowed. "I just don't like 'er. She's mean and don't like me. End o' story." He crossed his arms tightly as he glared down at the floor.

Grimmjow growled a little. He did not like a brother badmouthing his mother. Just as he was about to open his mouth, Ichigo raised his hand for him to stop. Somehow, Ichigo knew that Grimmjow would say something very bad, and Grimmjow's remark would cause problems.

Ichigo heard the growl, which meant something bad was going to come out of Grimmjow's mouth, so he countered to Shiro, "No. We wait. Nel is Grimmjow's mom. Just because you don't like here, doesn't mean we all have to play your hate game."

Chad added, "Relax, Shiro. She's not so bad, and we would be rude to leave a lady, especially when she doesn't have her bags." When Shiro turned to protest, Chad cut in, "Don't be so mean, Shiro. Just be happy she isn't another Orihime."

Shiro pouted and mumbled, "Thank gravity."

Just as Shiro was being lectured, Nel was humming as she exited the bathroom. When she looked up, Nel froze. Her mouth was ajar, and her eyes were wide. "This can't be," she thought. She swallowed a nervous lump and whispered, "Nnoitra?"

The man in front of her was leaning against the whitewashed wall. He was tall and thin. His long hair spilled from the darkness of his black hoodie, and his legs were concealed in dark blue jeans. Black sneakers adorned his feet, and the shoes were athletic shoes. His hands were stuffed in his front pocket. One eye glowed from within the darkness.

"Long time, no see, Neliel," said the hooded man. He dropped his hood and grinned.

Nel back away toward the women's bathroom door. She didn't want to be near the other. Nnoitra was bad news. Her bottom lip quivered.

"Why ya so scared, Neliel?" asked Nnoitra. He took a step forward, making the other flinch. With a frown, Nnoitra brought out his hands and held them up in a surrender like fashion. "I ain't gonna hurt ya," he said.

Nel shook her head and defended, "I'm not scared." Her hands felt for the door handle.

"Oh really?" asked Nnoitra with a cross of his arms. He tipped his head as his lone eye stared at the other.

"I," started Nel, "just thought you were arrested." Her right hand gripped the handle tightly. Her eyes were still focused on Nnoitra's death like gaze.

Nnoitra laughed. He held onto his abdomen to soothe its ache. He wiped a tear and wheezed, "Ya really think cops can keep me?" He straightened himself with an amused smirk still plastered on his face. "Cops are dumb these days, Neliel. All I had to do was roll out o' the car, hide in a bush, and kill 'em as the dumb pigs passed," explained Nnoitra.

With a small laugh, he added, "I basically gutted 'em. Made bacon an' all." When Nel's face grimaced, he laughed harder. The other amused him so much. After taking in a deep breath, Nnoitra said, "I miss that face o' your's, Neliel. Your face is even better in passion." He smiled creepily without his teeth.

The green haired woman remembered. She hated to remember. The reason why she could relate to Grimmjow so much was due to the man in front of her: Nnoitra. The name gave her chills. Nel remembered the day in high school. It was after school. She and Nnoitra were good friends. She defended him, and Nnoitra defended her. The friendship seemed great. But, Nnoitra wanted more. He loved Nel in high school.

To Nnoitra, Nel was everything. She was his day and night. He would talk to her all day, and he would make sure that no other guy got near her. One day, however, he snapped. Nel was talking to the school pretty boy, and Nnoitra didn't appreciate Nel's "betrayal." After school, Nnoitra walked up to that boy and pounded him in. Being satisfied with the boy's condition, he turned to find Nel, who was conveniently standing behind him with terrified eyes.

Nnoitra took her stunned reaction time to grab her arm and drag her toward the gymnasium. The gymnasium had huge bleachers with a concealed space behind. He took her there and raped her. Did he confess why? No. He just took her. He made sure to leave plenty of hicky marks and bite marks. The worst of the marks was the scar on Nel's innocence.

The school found out. How? The school janitor happened to be walking by when he heard a high pitched scream. The old man ran to the school principal, who found the pair under the bleachers. The principal, Harribel, was horrified, for she saw Nnoitra pinning the other down with his body and still "loving" her.

Nnoitra was charged for rape as an adult, for he was eighteen at the time. Nel was only seventeen, meaning that Nnoitra's case was even worse. Nnoitra wasn't happy.

Nel looked down from Nnoitra's gaze. She didn't want to look at the other anymore. She could still feel the marks on her body and heart. She even felt his hands still gripping her legs.

"Why ya look away like that, Neliel?" asked Nnoitra. He wanted her to look at him. He would be damned if the woman didn't look at him the way he wanted. After all, he did catch her hugging a group of boys, whom he planned deal with later.

"I don't want to see you," she admitted. While still looking down, she added, "You act as if nothing happened. You took my virginity and almost got me pregnant. Why did you do that? Why?" Tears started to collect in her eyes. "Now you're some serial killer, and you hurt others. Why?" Nel knew the other was armed; she could feel it. The aura around Nnoitra was the same as the day he forcefully took her.

Nnoitra frowned. "Heh," grumbled he. With a grin, he slipped out a knife from his back pocket and pointed the tip under Nel's chin. Nnoitra chuckled when the other stiffened. He forced her chin upwards, so Nel was finally looking at him.

"I don't need a reason to kill other people," he said. "For you, I had a reason. Didn't ya see back in school? Ya didn't see that I loved ya, Neliel?"

Nel was shocked at the confession. After so many years, the other finally confessed. Her world seemed to stop, for she didn't struggle when Nnoitra pushed her back into the bathroom and lifted her body onto the edge of the sink. The knife wasn't the main focus of her cooperation; the confession took it all.

Nnoitra tossed the knife aside and kissed at Nel's lips. When the green haired woman tore her lips away, he attacked the other's neck. He gave kisses and sucked on her neck.

Nel felt like she couldn't breathe, for she remembered the treatment. All of it. Nnoitra was basically redoing the day he took her. Nel could feel him retracing his steps across her skin. She jolted when her dress was lifted and a hand touched her thigh. She put her hand on his chest and whispered, "Please, Nnoitra. Stop." She looked up pleadingly into Nnoitra's lone eye.

The other just frowned. Nnoitra snarled and slammed the woman against the mirror, cracking the shining surface. When Nel yelped in pain, he attacked her lips.

Of course! Nel remembered that she was pleading with a murderer. Her best friend, Nnoitra, was long gone. With that thought, tears split down her cheeks.

The physical pain was there in her back, but the emotional pain was way worse. Nnoitra was gone. Nnoitra was gone. That one statement was glued in Nel's head.

Grimmjow was tapping his foot impatiently. He didn't like that Nel was in the bathroom for more than seven minutes. The record time Nel has ever been in the bathroom was five minutes, which was his fault for ordering fattening food. "Where is she?" he growled.

"Ya know," explained Shiro, "women take mean shits, too." He laughed when Grimmjow gave him a glare. He earned a slap to the back of his head by both Ichigo and Chad.

Ichigo rubbed his temples and suggested, "Let's go with Grimmjow to check up on her."

"Seriously?" asked Shiro with narrowed eyes. "I ain't goin' int' the ladies' room. No way." He crossed his arms.

"Who said you had to go in?" growled Grimmjow. "I'll check up on her." He clutched the handles of the bags tightly.

"So we can wait here, while you check on ya mama?" Shiro asked hopefully. As he pulled his hands from his pockets, Shiro's head was shoved by Chad. He looked at Chad angrily and growled, but his reaction didn't stir Chad's aggressive side.

Chad shook his head and announced, "We're going with Grimmjow. He's blood, Shiro. We can't leave him to venture into the ladies' room without back up. The women might gang up on him." He looked at Grimmjow with a smile. He was joking, of course.

Grimmjow shook his head and sighed. At least Chad understood his worry. He turned and walked toward the bathrooms. Ichigo followed.

"Do I gotta?" whined Shiro. He was ignored and dragged by Chad toward the restrooms.

**Author's Note:**

**What do you think? Si or no?**

**I hope you all liked that chapter. I really thought that Nel's relevance to the story was brought out more with her past here. Because you all know that the guys are going to check on Nel, I'm sure that you all can guess what might happen. Have fun with your predictions. **

**And, believe me when I say that this chapter transitions to the next. Like this chapter, the next chapter might be long, and the next chapter might be the last. I'll be updating soon on this story, and I'll be sure to make the next chapter as interesting and crazy as possible. **

**See ya later!**


	10. Blood is Thicker than Water

**Here it is! Read the warning and claim!**

**Warning: Vaguely detailed rape (For the sake of keeping this story rated T), drama, violence (a lot!), and ending (hehem sorry).**

**Claim: I don't approve of rape in any form or dimension! I write everything for a purpose. **

**Chapter Ten: Blood is Thicker than Water**

By the time Grimmjow and the rest of the family decided to check up on Nel, Nnoitra already had ripped Nel's dress to shreds. The reason for Nel's torn state was Nnoitra's dislike of her being so resistant.

"Get off!" sobbed Nel. She pushed at Nnoitra's chest with both hands.

The other didn't budge. He was growing more frustrated with Nel's attempts to dissuade him or push at him. He wouldn't have that anymore; Nnoitra wanted Nel. To have her, he would have to resort to more forceful measures.

Nnoitra growled when Nel pushed at him again. The woman looked up at him with fearful eyes that pleaded for him to stop his actions. Nnoitra had always been accustomed to Nel's pleading eyes in the past, for she used her eyes to childishly beg for stuff she wanted or to save him from what ever group of guys he pissed off. In addition to their use, her eyes always got him to do odd activities such as having a girls' night out with Nel and her girlfriends. Now that he was seeing the same eyes again, Nnoitra felt nothing. To him, Nel's eyes were annoying.

Nel's head snapped sideways when Nnoitra slapped her across the face. Instead of looking back at her attacker, Nel just kept her gaze on the other wall of the bathroom. She had to remember: Nnoitra wasn't the same anymore.

"He's gone," she thought, "for he feels nothing towards me." A tear slipped down her right cheek and onto her neck. Nel flinched when Nnoitra licked away the tear. She took in deep breaths as the rest of her dress was torn away from her body.

The other smiled at Nel's condition, for he sensed that she wouldn't struggle anymore. To test his theory, Nnoitra took hold of Nel's underwear and tore it away, leaving only the bra to remain intact. He looked back up at the woman's face.

He knew that for the past years, they have been separate, so the possibility of her being taken by another was fairly even. Nnoitra didn't like thinking of other men being with Nel. Granted that he had "loved" others, Nnoitra didn't feel the passion he did with Nel on their first go. So, he asked, "Have ya been with other guys, Neliel? After me?"

The woman didn't bother to look at Nnoitra. She didn't want to see him. Nel just replied, "No." The answer was like a whisper, barely audible to the human ear, but Nnoitra heard her loud and clear.

"Good," Nnoitra lauded. He gave her a kiss on the cheek.

The answer wasn't a lie. After her first time with intercourse, Nel didn't want to feel it again. The pain was just unbearable, and she felt that the scar on her heart would burn if she loved another. She would just think of Nnoitra and the way he handled her roughly.

When he kissed her, Nel's eyes shot open. The kiss was actually gentle. She did hear the praise in Nnoitra's voice, but she didn't think that Nnoitra would be that happy about her renewed chastity. Though his kiss was sweet, the reality of the situation bounced back onto her. Nel was stuck.

The odds of escaping Nnoitra weren't very good for her, so she kept her eyes and her mouth shut. So long as she didn't give herself willingly, she thought, "Maybe, I'll be keeping myself from him." The thought was nice, but the real encounter would take a huge toll on her physically and emotionally.

Because the green haired woman refused to cooperate willingly, Nel was carelessly handled and penetrated. To sum up the feeling, the penetration hurt, for she felt like her skin tore. The feeling of being torn just added to the pain in her back. She wasn't prepared for it, and she didn't want it. Nel hung onto the soap dispenser and the towel dispenser on either side of the sink to steady herself.

Nnoitra held onto the other by the hips. His body was heating up fast, so he swiftly let go of Nel's hips and threw off his sweater. A white dago covered his pale skin, showing his strong torso and arms. Nnoitra didn't hesitate to grab at Nel's hips and continue his torture.

The man felt great. He was enjoying his encounter with Nel. The feeling reminded him of the first time: sweet. Nnoitra was thinking that maybe Nel and he could be more. Besides the fact that he was taking her against her will, Nnoitra felt his old feelings resurface for Nel. The woman was still beautiful and strong.

"I want her," thought Nnoitra. "I don't want to let her go." His movements became sweeter and gentler, which was noticed by Nel, who still refused to look at him. He decided that he would have all of Nel, and that she and he would hide nothing.

Nnoitra quickly removed his dago. He would not cover himself from Nel, and the other would have to comply with his wants.

Just as the man was going to rip at Nel's bra, he heard a shuffling of footsteps outside the door, and he heard voices. "Shit!" he thought. With panic eating at him, Nnoitra sped up his actions to complete himself.

Nel could feel the hurry in Nnoitra's movements, and she could hear the voices outside the door, too. This was her chance. If she wanted to be helped, she had to scream. Nel knew that Nnoitra could be hiding another weapon, but Nel would take that chance. She felt herself coming to completion, so she thought that screaming something at the moment would make the yell for help natural.

When the time came, Nel screamed, "Ahhhhhhhh!" Her scream was interrupted by Nnoitra's hand covering her mouth. Her mind was fuzzy from the activity, and her body was still dancing from Nnoitra's continual torture. Nnoitra didn't seem to care too much about her scream, just what she wanted, for he was concentrating on finishing.

Just as Nel heard the door handle click, Nnoitra finished himself with a quiet grunt, making Nel feel disgusting and weak.

Before Nel had thought of her scream, Grimmjow was outside the door with the rest of the guys. He set down the bags and looked back at his friends.

Chad just chuckled and held a thumbs up for him. "Good luck, Grimmjow," he said. "We'll wait for you."

"What he said," added Shiro as he crossed his arms.

Ichigo shook his head at his brother's assurance. He tapped Grimmjow's shoulder and said, "You'll be okay. After all, you're just checking on your mom." He gave an encouraging smile.

"Thanks, Ichigo," replied Grimmjow.

Shiro saw Grimmjow go for the door, but he wasn't so sure about the guy barging in so quickly. When Grimmjow turned the handle a little, Shiro was sure that maybe the checkup was over rated. To help the situation a little, Shiro suggested, "Why don't ya wait a minute? Maybe she feels sick an' needs a second t' herself. Maybe if ya wait, she'll come out. A woman does need her personal space."

Grimmjow frowned and retaliated, "She's been in there for ten minutes now, Shiro. I doubt that she would do something that needs ten minutes. The woman's as tough as a rock and as poised as a penguin."

"A penguin?" repeated Shiro with a raised brow. "Ya ma seems more like a-" he was interrupted with double slaps to the back of the head by Chad and Ichigo. "Ow," he complained rubbing his head. "Ya want me t' be honest, right?" The question earned him another slap to the back of the head by Chad.

"You realise that you sounded like me, right?" asked Chad to Shiro. "You're the same way with Ichigo." He held out his hand, which was high fived by Ichigo.

"That's different," defended Shiro.

"No it's not," countered Chad. "Nel is Grimmjow's blood. If he feels the need to protect her, then he should go for it." He crossed his arms as he stared down at Shiro.

Shiro's left eye twitched. "Then why didn't ya let me go wit' m' King t' the bathroom?" he growled while shaking a fist at Chad.

Chad sighed and replied, "You're overprotective all the time, Shiro. Ichigo can handle himself in most cases. If he really needed help, I know he would back down and come to us for aid." He smiled when Ichigo raised his hand for another high five, which was granted.

With a pout, Shiro rebuddled, "Yeah, yeah, but Grimmjow's ma's a full grown woman." He was hit upside the head by Ichigo. Shiro rubbed at his sore head and grumbled about being mistreated.

"Ignore him, Grimmjow," said Ichigo. "Just check on Nel. I know that she would do the same for you."

The blue haired man nodded. As he was going to turn the knob, Grimmjow heard a scream. The voice was recognizable. He quickly turned the knob and burst inside. His eyes widened at the sight before him: Nel was on the sink being held in place by a tall man as she was thrusted into.

Nel looked at him with sad eyes and mouthed, "Help."

Grimmjow clenched his teeth. He saw blood dripping down the porcelain sink, and he knew where it was coming from. The blood; it made him see red. His former mother's face flashed in place of Nel's, and Ichigo's face was put into the mix. The faces continued to flash as he heard the man grunt in completion.

Ichigo heard the scream, too, so he, along with Shiro and Chad, burst into the bathroom after Grimmjow. The men were horrified. Ichigo was the most concerned, for he knew that Grimmjow would not take this lightly. "That tall guy's a dead man," he thought.

Nnoitra sighed as he pulled away and pulled up his pants. With a lazy glare, he looked back at the men at the door and asked, "Enjoy the show?" He frowned when none answered, and he narrowed his eye when the blue haired man was breathing harshly. He looked back at Nel, and he looked to Grimmjow. "I'm sorry," he said in sarcasm, "is she your girl?"

Shiro was in the back of the group, but he saw and heard everything. He could practically feel the tension rolling off of everyone. When he heard the last question, Shiro knew that Grimmjow would spring into an all out brawl. Grimmjow and Ichigo shared everything with him, and he knew. After observing Grimmjow, Shiro could read what the other was thinking or going to do.

He knew enough to know that Grimmjow had had enough, and he knew enough to know that Grimmjow would probably kill the guy. So, he would step in.

Shiro pushed the guys aside and came to the front of the group. "Actually," he started, "she's mine." He could feel everyone's eyes on him, but he didn't care. "Who th' fuck ya think ya are, one-eyed pussy?" growled Shiro. He crossed his arms as he glared at Nnoitra.

Nnoitra was surprised at the outburst of the pale male, and he was even more surprised when the male claimed Nel and challenged his status. He had to admit, though, that the white haired man looked scarier than the others, for his eyes were gold swimming in black.

With a maniacal grin, Nnoitra replied, "Heh, punk. As for me, I'm Nnoitra Jiruga Gilga."

The name seemed to echo on all of them. Shiro heard about the guy from the news and his brother. From what he knew, this was the guy who killed Grimmjow's parents. To show that he wasn't intimidated, Shiro replied, "Ah. Nice name. Mine's Shiro." He walked a little closer and added, "I heard ya like playin' wit' knives." The fact was true. Every murder Nnoitra committed was done by hand or knife.

The other just squinted his eye and reached into his back pocket. He pulled out a switchblade, which he undid to reveal crescent bites on the edge of the blade. Nnoitra held the blade in front of himself with sly smile. "What about it?" he asked.

Shiro just smirked and pulled out his own weapon, which happened to be the labeling knife. He held out the knife and said, "I like t' play wit' knives, too...Now, it's just a matta o' who's better."

"That a challenge?" growled Nnoitra. He didn't like the little punk: he was too cool and suave for his taste.

Grimmjow couldn't' believe that Shiro was taking the lead on this. He just wanted to pounce on the guy and hit him with all he had. And, here, Shiro was having a conversation. He shook his head and looked to Nel, who was panting in pain as she was still steadying herself on the sink. He looked to Shiro, who was walking closer to Nnoitra and making the other move back. Taking the chance, Grimmjow made his way to Nel, but he was cut short by a slash from Nnoitra's long arm.

He looked at Nnoitra after touching his face. He took his palm off of his cheek and looked at it; blood was streaming down his fingers. Grimmjow sneered and looked at Nnoitra, who was shaking his knife at him.

"Do me a favor, blue, and don't touch what's mine," growled Nnoitra.

"Really?" growled Grimmjow. He was seeing red again.

"Shouldn't have done that," came Shiro's warning tone. As Nnoitra was still focused on Grimmjow, Shiro slashed forward, making Nnoitra jump back in surprise. The other looked at him with a snarl on his lips.

"Heh," waved off Shiro. He continued to lunge forward.

As Shiro was keeping Nnoitra busy, Ichigo and Chad went to help Grimmjow, who looked to be torn between helping Nel and assisting Shiro. Ichigo nudged Grimmjow, who snapped his angry gaze at him. Ichigo frowned.

"Nel needs your help, Grimmjow," said Ichigo. He turned the other to Nel, who was trying to move herself.

Grimmjow's eyes saddened, and he shook his head. "It happened again," he growled under his breath. "I can't believe this happened again!"

Ichigo pursed his lips and took hold of Grimmjow's face; he stared the other in the eyes. "Grimmjow, listen to me. Don't worry about it. Nel needs help," said Ichigo. "She needs you." What he said was very true. Plus, he knew that Shiro's time fighting Nnoitra wasn't for no reason.

The blue haired man just nodded. He turned to Nel and went to her. Grimmjow noticed her naked form and blushed; thus, he took off his own shirt and put it over Nel. The shirt covered up to mid thigh. Grimmjow tried to move Nel, but the woman yelped when her legs were moved.

"I'm sorry, Nel," whispered Grimmjow. "I gotta get you outta here, so I need you to push past the pain."

Nel looked up at Grimmjow, allowing the other to notice the tear stains on her face. She smiled and said, "I know. Thank you, Mr. Grumpy Grim." The other smiled at the name. Nel set her arms around Grimmjow's neck and secured her hold.

Grimmjow, on the other hand, slid his right arm under Nel's legs and his other arm around her waist. With a count to three, he quickly lifted her. Grimmjow looked at Ichigo and said, "Let's get outta here."

Ichigo nodded and made his way in front to remove obstacles and open doors for Grimmjow and Nel. They burst through the front doors of the mall. He looked at Grimmjow, who was frantic with anxiety. He quickly suggested, "Let's go to my house. My dad's a doctor, remember? He can help with this." He received a nod. Then, they both ran for Ichigo's home.

The blue haired man didn't slow down. He only stopped when Ichigo had to open the door to the clinic.

"Dad!" called Ichigo. He quickly brought up his fist when Isshin popped up from behind. He turned while his father fell. "Dad, there's no time to mess around," scolded Ichigo. "Grimmjow's mom's hurt bad. We need you to look over her and bandage everything." His hands were set on his hips.

After the scolding, Isshin jumped to his feet with a new determined look. With a declaratory finger in the air, Isshin announced, "I shall do my duty as a doctor and help those in need!" He quickly directed Grimmjow to a room. After Nel was set down on a table, Grimmjow and Ichigo were shoved out of the room.

"I'll look her over," said Isshin with a serious face. "Don't come in until I call you." With that, Isshin shut the door and set to work.

At the time the guys got to Nel, Chad was going to offer to carry Nel, but Shiro had called him. He looked over and saw Shiro had sliced Nnoitra's knife out of his hand and kicked the other; as a result, Nnoitra was against the wall looking at his bloody hand.

Shiro was looking down at Nnoitra smugly and said, "I guess I'm better wit' knives." He heard Chad approach them, so he said, "Chad, I need ya t' finish off this joke."

"Joke?" snarled Nnoitra as braced himself against the wall. "Fuck you! Who the hell do ya think ya are t' think you can just take me on like that?" He was shivering with anger.

Shiro just chuckled and said, "Ay, Chad. On second thought, finish him, so he'll wake up in a bit." When his friend raised a questioning brow, Shiro answered his quiet question with, "I wanna label 'im."

Chad nodded and cracked his knuckles. He approached Nnoitra, who got up in a fighting stance.

"Come on, big man," taunted Nnoitra, "show Gilga what ya got." He grinned and fisted his hands.

The other pursed his lips and replied, "This shall hurt you a lot." When his words reached Nnoitra's ears, the other roared and lunged at him. A bloody fist came at Chad's face, but Chad swiftly moved aside and caught Nnoitra's wrist. He squeezed the wrist, making Nnoitra yelp and try to pull his arm free.

Chad looked at Nnoitra's face and said, "El Directo." With his right fist, Chad hooked a shot at Nnoitra's jaw. The impact immediately made Nnoitra pass out. As Nnoitra's body fell, Chad let go of the wrist, so the rest of the body fell to the ground without interruption. When Nnoitra's crown made contact with floor, Chad humphed and turned to Shiro.

Shiro was leaning against a gray stall and his arms were crossed. "That's gotta be the best right hook ya ever threw," he commented. The other nodded at him. "Pick 'im up. We gotta scram before the idiot wakes up."

Chad nodded again and picked up Nnoitra. He threw the large man over his shoulder and turned for the door. Shiro followed.

After getting through the staring crowd and past the suspicious security guards, Chad and Shiro made their way toward the alley across the street from the mall. Both men recognized the alley as the same place where Grimmjow had beaten Ichigo.

"Heh. This alley's gonna have one hell of a past," thought Shiro with a sadistic smile. He looked at Chad and nodded his head. The other nodded back and set Nnoitra down.

The tall man made sure to hold down Nnoitra's arms, while Shiro made his way over and pinned Nnoitra's body down with his weight. Nnoitra, however, wasn't awake. Shiro frowned.

"This won't work if he's awake," said Shiro aloud. "He has to know the pain he caused to everyone."

"That's quite noble," commented Chad from his position.

"Heh. The point is that he hurt blood, and I ain't lettin' 'im get away without some labels," explained Shiro with a narrow of his eyes at the back of Nnoitra's head.

"Nel?" asked Chad.

"No. Well, yes. Look, he got Grimmjow through Nel, and he's blood," replied Shiro. "Besides, Nel deserves some justice. If anyone's gonna annoy her in any form, I'd rather it be me." He looked up at Chad and was surprised to see the other smiling at him.

"You like her," teased Chad with smile.

Shiro sighed and pulled out his knife. "Just wake 'im up," he demanded. He watched Chad slap Nnoitra's face until the man woke up and started struggling.

"What the fuck?" panicked Nnoitra. He tried moving his arms, but Shiro's legs prevented him from doing so. "Ya little snotty bastards! Where the hell am I?"

"Shut the fuck up," came Shiro's response. "Right now, ya at our mercy, and I'm gonna show ya what a real psycho does wit' a knife." He twirled the blade and set one hand down on Nnoitra's back. "Just wait."

As Shiro was labeling Nnoitra, Grimmjow and Ichigo were finally called into the room. Grimmjow bit his lip when he saw Nel. The woman's torso was wrapped, and her hips were wrapped. Grimmjow walked to her side and set a hand on Nel's.

Nel looked up and said, "Hey, Mr. Grumpy Grim."

"Hey, Nel," said Grimmjow. "How ya feelin'?" He did his best to remain calm.

"I'm feeling okay," she replied. "Thanks to Doctor Kurosaki, you, and Ichigo." She gave the men a smile, which was returned.

Isshin reacted bashfully to Nel's praise, but his bashfulness didn't last long. Ichigo kicked the old man out of the room to allow for privacy. Just as he was about to leave, Ichigo felt Grimmjow's hold on his wrist. He looked back.

"You're blood, remember?" reminded Grimmjow with a smile. He turned to the other and added, "You're my best friend and my brother, Ichigo. You helped me become a better man, and you helped me get through the pain I felt after my parents were murdered. You're like an angel sent to me with a natural halo. You helped with Nel, too, so you stay." With a smile, Grimmjow embraced the other.

Ichigo smiled and returned the hug. "Love ya, too, bro," he said. He felt Grimmjow chuckle.

Nel cleared her throat and got the boys' attention. When they looked at her, she got to teasing Grimmjow about his "boyfriend," which didn't go over so well, for Grimmjow groaned about the title she was giving Ichigo. Ichigo and Nel just laughed. Grimmjow just shook his head with a smile.

Grimmjow felt the love, and he felt that he officially belonged.

Six years later...

Grimmjow entered the prison visiting area. He looked around for the right seat. When he spotted seat five, he walked toward the chair and sat down. Grimmjow had just graduated college and got a job at a local company. He was dressed in a white dress shirt and black tie. He wore black slacks and black dress shoes. His sleeves were rolled up, and his jacket was hanging off of his shoulders. His hair was longer and pulled back into a ponytail.

He heard a distant beep, so Grimmjow peeked through the window to see. He hummed to himself when he noticed the prisoner was his guy. Grimmjow didn't want to confront the guy at his younger age, for he felt like he would look like a complaining child. At his present age, Grimmjow felt more adult like. He was ready to face his parents' killer.

Just as Grimmjow pulled the phone receiver from its place, Nnoitra sat down in his seat. Grimmjow put the receiver to his ear and waited for Nnoitra, who took his time to do so.

"Never thought I'd get a visitor," came Nnoitra's voice. His voice was rough, and his eyes looked dark. His hair had gotten longer, too, so it was tied back into a braid. He frowned and said, "What brings you here, kid?"

The blue haired man raised a brow and replied, "Last I checked, I was twenty-four." He shook his head and said, "I came here for two things, Gilga."

Nnoitra raised a brow. "Before we get down to that," he said, "who are ya t' me?" Nnoitra really didn't know the guy across from him. All he remembered was that the blue haired man was there when he raped Nel.

Grimmjow didn't blink; he just answered, "I guess I'm sorta like your indirect victim. My name's Grimmjow Jaggerjack. I had only moved into Karakura when you killed your last victims, who were my parents. Then you raped my adoptive mother, Nel." He was disappointed when Nnoitra wasn't swayed by the story.

"Sad," came Nnoitra's uncaring voice. "You want me to apologize?" He was giving Grimmjow the most apathetic face he could muster as he was slouched in his seat. In reality, he was surprised about Nel being the other's adoptive mother. "Just like Nel," he thought, "always caring for others."

The blue haired man closed his eyes and shook his head. "I don't care if you apologize," he said as reopened his eyes. "Your apology won't bring 'em back, and your apology won't heal take back what you did to Nel." He leaned on his forearms. "As I said before, I came here for two things."

Nnoitra shrugged and asked, "What's the first?"

Grimmjow gave a half smile as he turned his head and called, "Hey, Junior! Get over here!" He waited for a child to run over. When the child came into view, Grimmjow smiled. He loved that kid.

The child was about three feet tall, slim, gray eyed, and green haired. The child had a round face, and his eyes were mostly covered by his messy hair. He wore a white shirt and blue overalls that were rolled up at the legs. Black chucks adorned his feet with long white socks. His limbs were really long compared to his torso, clearly showing the relations of his father.

"Ay, Big Brother Grimm," greeted the child with a smile as he got closer to Grimmjow. He jumped up and gave Grimmjow a high five.

"Hey, squirt," greeted Grimmjow with a bigger smile. He hoisted the kid on to his lap and turned the chair back toward Nnoitra. He picked up the receiver again and put it to his ear. "Can you guess who this little guy is?" he asked.

Nnoitra gaped at the kid. He recognized that the child had Nel's face and his body. He was utterly amazed and confused. "He can't be," he made out. Nnoitra touched the glass, covering most of it.

The child put his hand on the glass. When the hands looked to be touching, the child withdrew and looked down shyly.

Nnoitra looked back up at Grimmjow and asked, "What is this?"

Grimmjow frowned and answered, "Thought you'd be smarter than that." He sighed and added, "This kid is your son. He's five years old now."

The black haired man awed at the kid. "What's his name?" asked Nnoitra.

"I don't call him 'junior' for no reason," replied Grimmjow. "I call him 'junior' 'cause I don't like your name, Gilga." He sighed and answered more directly, "His name's Nnoitra. Nnoitra Jiruga Gilga, Jr."

Nnoitra didn't mind the distaste from the other. He just set his one eye on the child, who was still looking down shyly. His expression softened. The child was a mixture of him and Nel. That fact made his heart flutter, and he felt something for the kid. He touched the glass again. "That's my son," he thought. When Nel came to mind, he thought again, "Our son."

He looked back up and asked, "Why ya bring him?" He thought that using his son on a visit was just dirty. He was in jail, and the other knew he wouldn't get out until the end of time.

Grimmjow ruffled little Nnoitra's hair. At first, he disliked the idea of Nel having Gilga's baby, but Nel was against abortion. After the kid was born, Grimmjow grew to love little Nnoitra; the name was given to the kid because of Nnoitra's past friendship with Nel. That reason still puzzled Grimmjow sometimes.

Little Nnoitra was addressed as 'Junior' by everyone except Nel, who believed that little Nnoitra should feel comfortable with his name. The kid grew to love Grimmjow as a big brother figure, and he grew to love Shiro as a father figure. Grimmjow had to laugh five years prior when Shiro actually asked Nel on a date. When the kid turned three, Shiro and Nel were still dating, and little Nnoitra called Shiro "Dad." Of course, Chad and Ichigo still played a huge role in little Nnoitra's life. Chad was "Uncle Sado," and Ichigo was "Uncle Strawberry." Grimmjow got a good laugh every time little Nnoitra called for Ichigo.

When the kid turned five, he was too smart for his own good. The kid actually figured out that Shiro wasn't his real father for a ton of reasons both Grimmjow and Nel couldn't keep up with. The time came when Nel finally gave in and told little Nnoitra about his real dad. The kid was heartbroken that his real dad was locked away, so he asked to see his real dad. After about a month's worth of pleading, Grimmjow and Nel set up a date to see Nnoitra.

Grimmjow looked down at little Nnoitra and sighed. He answered, "The kid wanted to see ya." Then, he went on to explain the child's past achievements and new relations, which did include Shiro's role as the father figure. He saw the unease in Nnoitra's face at the fact that Shiro was being called "Dad."

"Can I talk to 'im?" asked Nnoitra. He wanted to hear the little guy's voice. He wanted to hear what he and Nel created together.

Grimmjow frowned but answered, "Yeah." He pulled the receiver down lower and asked, "Hey, Junior, ya wanna to talk to your dad?" He was met with gray eyes.

Nnoitra felt some pride when he heard his name associated with being the father. To him, he and Nel did a pretty damn good job at making a child.

Little Nnoitra looked at the receiver and took it. He needed both hands to steady the large thing against his ear. With an audible gulp, the boy said, "Hello."

At that moment, Nnoitra's heart melted. The kid's voice was perfect. He sounded his age, but his tone was very mature. Nnoitra gave a small smile and replied, "Hey, kiddo." His eyes were met with his son's, and he realized that the kid had his eyes. The kid truly was his replica.

"I heard you're going t' be in here for a while," said little Nnoitra. He looked nervous, but his voice sounded otherwise.

Nnoitra frowned and answered, "Yeah."

"Why are ya in here?" asked the child more bravely.

The father frowned and replied, "Daddy did bad stuff some time ago, so now he has to stay here." The child was still looking at him; his little eyes digging into his heart. He felt tears coming, so he took in deep breaths to keep from showing the tears. The kid was getting to him.

"Like what?" the child persisted. He leaned his elbows on the small protruding area in front of the glass. His attention was directed at Nnoitra.

"Just bad stuff," said Nnoitra with a sad eye. He sat up more and continued, "Listen, son. Daddy did bad stuff in his younger days. Be a good boy and don't be like daddy. Go to school and have good dreams." He took in a deep breath to keep from crying. "Most importantly, son, be a good boy for mommy, okay? She's very special, and I want you t' take good care of her. Don't be like daddy."

Little Nnoitra looked down and nodded his head. He replied, "Yes, daddy. I'll be a good boy to mommy, and I'll go to school and have dreams." He looked up hopefully and said, "I have one dream, now, daddy. I want you to come see me one day and not be in this place."

Nnoitra had to smile. He thought he'd die from his puddle of a heart. "Maybe someday," he said.

Little Nnoitra bounced with a large grin, which reminded his father of himself. "Okay, daddy," said he into the receiver. "I'll see you again, right?"

"Ya gotta ask your mom about that," replied the father.

The son just nodded and handed Grimmjow the receiver. He looked up at Grimmjow and said, "I'm going t' go tell Uncle Strawberry about daddy."

Grimmjow nodded and said, "Alright. Make sure you give your uncle a mighty punch from me." Grimmjow called the hits "mighty punches" for the sake of keeping the kid interested in hitting Ichigo. Ichigo was still his best friend. The man still treated him to Urahara's famous milkshakes, and he got to taste the secret milkshake Urahara mentioned earlier. He had to admit he tasted mostly strawberries, which pissed Ichigo off. He had a good laugh at Urahara's newly colored face.

The child nodded enthusiastically. He hopped off of Grimmjow's lap and ran toward the waiting room. He looked back and waved at his biological father. When he received a wave back, little Nnoitra made his way to Ichigo, whom he punched in regards of Grimmjow.

Grimmjow turned back to Nnoitra with the receiver to his ear. "That kid has a lot of energy," he said.

Nnoitra nodded in agreement. Before anything got awkward, he said, "I can tell he's a good kid." He sighed and asked, "What's the second thing ya wanna talk about?"

"Have you seen what's on your back?" asked Grimmjow with a more serious tone.

The other looked at Grimmjow with a glare. He nodded. "I think your buddy, Shiro, is more of a whack job than me," he said.

Grimmjow snorted and said, "I already know that." He shook his head and added, "What he did to you, it's called 'labeling.'"

"I can tell," retorted Nnoitra with a more pissed off tone. He hated the scars on his back, and most of all, he hated the scar on his abdomen. He remembered that day. His back was sliced up as he screamed his lungs out. Then, he was flipped over, and another label was placed on his abdomen. The scars on his back covered the entire area, and the scar on his abdomen stretched from his chest to his hipline.

He remembered that the big guy had take pictures before he passed out. On his first days in prison, the pictures were sent to him. Nnoitra was pissed. On his back were names, which included Nel's. On his torso was a word he would never forget: monster.

Nnoitra gulped and asked, "That crazy bastard showed you the pictures, right?" He was glaring at Grimmjow, who nodded.

"I heard you passed out before Chad could explain the labeling or do anymore damage. That and the cops were already there to pick you up," said Grimmjow. He sat back in his chair and added, "That's the second reason why I'm here."

"Figures," said Nnoitra as he switched the receiver to his other ear. "I didn't really think the guy was doing it for the sake of body art." His tone was really sarcastic at that point.

Grimmjow chuckled and said, "Shiro hates body art. For that reason, he uses it to punish those who hurt blood." He saw Nnoitra frown at the explanation. He took a brief moment to explain Shiro's philosophy and terms. Nnoitra just raised an eyebrow and commented on the oddity of the philosophy.

He just nodded and explained, "As for the labels, the names on the back are those who are considered blood. Blood is solidified with actual human blood. Our names are there for you to look at and be reminded of the pain you caused. The point of the labeling was for you to feel the pain others might feel. Usually those who are labeled are unconscious, but you were a different case.

"You were seen as a natural predator, a beast, or a monster." He saw Nnoitra sneer at the last part. "Shiro obviously thought of you as a mongrel, and you were labeled as such. In most labelings, the label and names are on the back, but because you were seen as a monster, your label was put on your stomach.

"That label is for everyone to see. The label is probably the most degrading of the entire process. Think of your label as some sort of dog tag," he finished. Grimmjow looked to Nnoitra and smiled. With his smile still there, Grimmjow said, "Remember the lettering. The lettering of the message written in your own blood. I'm sure you know what I'm talking about." After he said those words, Grimmjow got up and hung up the receiver.

When the visit was over, Nnoitra was led back to his cell. He stood there staring at the little mirror in his room. He didn't need to look at the pictures to remember the lettering. He practically felt it written on him. Nnoitra pursed his lips and stripped off his uniform shirt to reveal the jagged scars.

Another inmate was put into his room. They were roommates, but they still didn't like each other much. The inmate was a blond with funny teeth. He looked at Nnoitra and asked, "What's the point in having all those names on ya?"

Nnoitra turned around and smiled maniacally. He simply replied, "To remember that blood is thicker than water."

**The End**

**Author's note:**

**Hey, soooooo...this is the end. I'm sorry. I really am. I couldn't help myself. I just had to finish it because the ending was burning my brain. **

**I loved adding little Nnoitra. In my mind, he looks so adorable. :) I think Grimmjow got his revenge via the labeling explanation and bringing the kid. It's like rubbing your last cookie in someone's face. Oh well.**

**I hoped you all enjoyed the story. I loved writing it. **

**See ya in other stories!**


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